Dynamic
by greensword101
Summary: AU of the DC Animated Universe. Meet Robin. He's an eleven year-old kid among the greatest heroes the world has known, still plagued with doubt over "last time," two years ago. From the mysterious Hawkgirl, the lonely J'onn Jonzz, beautiful Diana, his distant father, even the addictive quirks of his new friend, the Flash, Robin's future as a hero is set in motion. T for Violence.
1. Prologue: Intruder?

**Disclaimer: All Rights to Justice League Belong to DC Comics and Cartoon Network. Batman and Robin Belong to Bob Kane and Bill Finger. This Takes Place in the DC Animated Universe and is also my version of it, so it is a slight AU. Only Fair to Warn You.**

**Added December 2nd: I'm just polishing this story a bit since there were some things that needed fixing. Sorry to get your hopes up, but the next update will come really soon.**

**Added December 6th: Another polishing, a guest reviewer pointed out a mistake about the security system. You can find the fixed area towards the end of the chapter when Batman appears. But have no fear, the next update will come by tonight!**

**Prologue: Intruder?**

Space. In a word, it can be defined as eternal. To Martian Manhunter, it could be defined as emptiness. As he looks out a window in the giant space station better known as the Watchtower, so many thoughts appear with each sight that the darkness of space holds. So many months have passed already, and yet the ache in J'onn's heart had not lessened one bit. He missed his family, his friends, his home. Never again could he hold his children in his arms, feel his beloved's lips against his, spend the rest of his days living a normal life outside of fighting. Now the Justice League was his life, his future.

"You okay," a concerned voice speaks from behind.

J'onn turned around to see the worried face of Wonder Woman, another member of the Justice League. Out of the seven heroes that made up the league, she seemed to be the only person other than the Flash whom J'onn is able to talk to comfortably. Superman may be able to related with the Martian for being the last of his kind, but from what he learned from his talks with Diana, she seemed to have left behind her past, her family. He matches her frown with one of his own.

They look at each other for several long moments before J'onn sighs and says, "I am just thinking my home. No matter how many years have passed, the pain still hasn't subsided one bit. Sometimes I wish I had died with my family long ago too."

"Don't say that, J'onn," Wonder Woman replied gently, "I was taught never to dwell on the past and to keep moving forward in the future. Besides, if what you wished for happened, then those monsters would have destroyed our planet too. And I never would have meet you, let alone leave Themyscira. Just remember, we're here for you, J'onn, no matter what."

The Amazon proceeded to take one of the Martian's hands and hold it with both of her own. J'onn responded by placing his other hand over Diana's, with a small smile barely covering his face, appreciating the kind gesture. The sound of metal doors sliding open brought the attention of both heroes to the disturbance behind them. Entering the room was John Stewart, also known as Green Lantern, covered in chocolate syrup and ice chunks slowly dripping down his uniform. Behind him was Hawkgirl, the only other female on the team, drinking what looked like one of Flash's infamous frappes, who didn't seem bothered by the melting ice cream in her hair and helmet. Last one behind them was Flash, obviously the culprit of the mess and was currently licking his fingers with delight.

"I don't care how good your milkshakes are, Flash!" John barked with his head turned towards the Speedster, "If you forget to put the lid on the mixer again _after _pouring a carton full of ice cream in it, then you won't be just red. You'll be black and blue too!"

Flash didn't seem to be listening to the Marine. He merely shrugged his shoulders,

"It was just an accident. Besides, I don't hear _her_ making threats at me and she's got a mace."

"You're lucky this tastes so good," Hawkgirl commented in-between sips, "Or else I _will_ put my mace to good use. Mmmm... someone take this mocha away from me! I could have this all day!"

"Having a little trouble in the kitchen?" Wonder Woman smirked at her messy colleagues.

John merely pointed at Flash for an answer. Hawkgirl simply kept on drinking her frappe with content. Flash blushed with embarrassment and continued licking the chocolate sauce off of his fingers. J'onn's grin grew wider at the sight of his friends. There were some perks to living on Earth.

Suddenly, the alarms in the Watchtower started going off. The lights flashed red repeatedly, the noises bringing the League members out of their moment.

"Oh great!" John proclaimed sarcastically, "First the kitchen blows up, now an intruder got onto our ship."

Flash rushed over to the computers and began typing in rapidly, trying to locate the stowaway.

"Where are they located?" Hawkgirl flew over to his shoulder.

"Don't know," Flash responded with gritted teeth, "All I'm getting is static. They must have hacked into our cameras beforehand."

"It's a shame the alarms were left unguarded," John growled, "Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise!"

"Wait, I got something!" Flash proclaimed, "It's kind of weak though. They're near Batman's private quarters!"

"I highly doubt Batman will enjoy this," J'onn replied calmly.

The heroes rushed as fast as they could to intercept the intruder before any damage could be done. Flash unsurprisingly reached the destination first, noticing that the door to Batman's room was left ajar. When he went in, however, he was not expecting to see the computer screen showing a video game in use. Nor was he expecting to see a kid sitting in _Batman's_ chair, with a controller in hand. How did a kid get in here?!

The kid's back was turned, but Flash could see that it was obviously a boy. He also didn't look no older than nine or ten.

"Come on, just one more ship," the boy muttered under his breath, "No, no, don't hit me you stupid alien! Yes! New high score!"

Just then, Flash zoomed in front of the kid and snatched the controller out of his hand.

"Sorry. Game over kid," the Flash teased. He got a good look of the intruder now; a black cape with a yellow underbelly was covering the boy's back, dark green gloves covered his hands, heavy-looking camo boots decorated his feet, dark-gray pants with a red tunic were also a part of the outfit, a domino mask concealed his eyes, and the strangest thing a part of the getup was a yellow R crest over the place where his heart would be. Maybe he was just trying to look cool?

The costumed boy blinked twice at Flash and then started laughing hysterically.

"Really funny Red Guy," the boy gasped in between laughs, "You really are the clown on this team."

_Clown? _The Flash wouldn't stand for that!

"Alright kid, how did you get in here?" Flash tried asking nicely. The boy merely snatched the controller out of his grasp and continued playing his game.

"Excuse me? I'm talking to you," Flash spoke louder this time but the boy continued ignoring him.

Green Lantern then flew in and did a double take of the intruder. A kid broke into the Watchtower?! He decided to step in and grabbed the boy by his shoulder.

"You're in big trouble, young man!" John growled in an intimidating voice. The boy slapped the hand away and jumped off the chair. The look of mirth was now replaced with a glare that Batman would have been jealous of.

"_Y__ou're_ not the boss of me!" The boy snapped. Green Lantern tried grabbing him again, but the boy was too fast and threw a punch at the grown man. John was sent flying into the wall on the other end of the room. Flash stared with shock, this kid had a lot of strength. Green Lantern fired a green net from his ring but the boy merely took off his cape and used the underbelly as a shield, neutralizing the green ring's powers. He pulled out a small metal rod that extended into a staff and charged towards the Green Lantern. He twirled it like a baton before striking Green Lantern over the head with it, the blow being blocked by a shield that the Marine managed to produce out of his ring.

Flash lunged over and attempted to catch him, but the kid somehow dodged that too and countered with a strong kick to the stomach. Pain spread throughout Flash's torso, but he dealt with worse before. He merely smirked,

"Guess you aren't as weak as you look."

"Guess you aren't as fast as I heard you were either," the boy remarked, a smirk spreading across his face as well. He then started to run out of the room, with the Flash and Green Lantern trying to keep up. But each time they got close, they boy merely threw small explosives and even marbles at them to trip them up. Flash's speed quickly resulted in him tripping underneath the small glass beads and slammed into a wall, knocking him out.

The boy kept on running until Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman towards him, trying to block his path. Wonder Woman looked on with shock at the boy, trying to comprehend how the intruder was just a kid.

"Don't let his size trick you," warned John, "He's tougher than he looks!"

Hawkgirl ignored this and charged at the boy. He did a flip as she came in low, then rounded it off with a roundhouse kick to the head. Martian Manhunter came in just in time to catch Hawkgirl and help her to her feet. Green Lantern fired another net at the boy while J'onn turned invisible and began sneaking up behind him.

"Don't you remember what last time you used your toy?" The boy taunted as he used his cape's yellow underbelly to block the green net again. His grin kept on getting wider and wider with each passing second that he reflected the net with his makeshift shield.

"Let's just say that at first you don't succeed, try try again," John smirked as Martian Manhunter came in closer. But right before he could even touch the intruder, the boy said,

"No offense, but the whole 'distracting the enemy while your friend does a sneak attack from behind' thing is _not_ original. Nice try though Mister uhh..Martian Guy."

J'onn was so shocked by this comment that he negated his invisibility. That turned out to be a mistake however, when the boy leaped over the Martian and pushed off of the man, knocking him to the ground.

Before the boy could escape again, Wonder Woman threw her lasso around him and pinned him down. She proceeded to walk over and tie his hands behind his back and locked his ankles together for a good measure. No matter how hard he struggled against the bindings, the boy couldn't break free. Flash regained consciousness and dashed to where their new captive was. He blew a raspberry at the captive intruder and even thumped his nose, aggravating the boy even further.

"You can struggle all you want," Wonder Woman proclaimed as the boy wiggled like a fish upon dry land, "But I could use this lasso on Superman and he wouldn't be able to break free."

"Speaking of which," a voice called from behind. When the others turned around, they saw Superman fly in with Batman following close by. The boy stopped struggling against the ropes and looked at the Man of Steel with great interest. To Wonder Woman's surprise, he went up to the boy and untied him as gently and quickly as he could.

"Thanks Superman," the boy hugged his savior the moment his bindings were off. Green Lantern and the Flash shared a mutual look of shock at the spectacle.

To everyone else's surprise, Superman proceeded to ruffle the boy's hair, making him chuckle.

Flash was the first to speak up, voicing the one thing that was on everyone's minds,

"Uh, Superman? Do you know this kid or something?"

"Even better," Superman smiled, "I know who's responsible for him."

When Batman came closer without the boy even flinching, the other heroes started wondering if the world was coming to an end. Was Batman _grinning_?!

"That was sloppy of you," Batman frowned, "You turned the alarms back on by mistake. What happened?" Batman _knew_ about this?! What was going on around here?

The boy shrugged, "I don't know. _You _designed it in the first place. The security went back online when I was in your room. Didn't hear anything though. Why didn't you tell me about the backup system?"

Batman crossed his arms and glared at the boy, "You have to prepare for any possible outcome. That means you don't always rely on information given to you. It could be outdated or even false leads. Make no mistake next time."

"Yes sir," the boy did a mock salute, not even trembling a little beneath the Bat-Glare.

"Is someone going to explain what's going on or do I have to make you start talking?" Hawkgirl raised her mace threateningly.

Batman turned to his confused colleagues while Superman and the boy shared a grin with one another, "This was meant to be a surprise. I'd like to introduce you all to Robin. He's my new partner...and my son."

**I was originally going to have Batman reveal that Robin was his son later on, just to make the others use their brains first, but there would have been a lot of confusing things to explain. Before anyone asks, this Robin is Dick Grayson and I decided to use Damian's Robin costume because it looked cool and was better than having him run around in the short shorts. Also, Batman and Robin are father and son legally speaking, no "ward" business. This is 2014, people. I think Bats would have to make Dick his son in order to be his guardian nowadays in this society. This is going to be somewhat of a series with Robin being a member of the Justice League. I will make the next chapter in a few days.**

**Please give Constructive Criticism in the reviews. I will do my best with this series and am also trying to write in the way they did in the "Justice League" cartoon, so I'm sorry if some of the dialogue didn't sound as good as you'd hope it would be. DC Animated Universe Forever! Happy Readings!**


	2. Chapter 1: Introductions and Concerns

**First of all, I'd like to thank those who have already favored my story and gave praise for the concept idea. It makes me glad to know that my hard work won't go unnoticed. Like I said before, this will be a series, but not exactly like the one-shots you read about Dick and Daddybats fluff. Like any book that you find in bookstore. **

**Many of the characters' personalities will slowly reveal themselves over the course of this take on the DC Animated Universe, mainly based on their perceptions on Robin. Keep giving reviews and suggestions on how characters should talk, I would appreciate that, as I want to make sound like the cartoon in terms of writing. I am not like Paul Dini or Bruce Timm but anything you guys can point out in the comments will be of great help. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: All rights to Justice League Belong to DC Comics and Cartoon Network. Batman and Robin Belong to Bob Kane and Bill Finger. This Takes Place in a slightly AU DC Animated Universe, only fair to warn you.**

**Chapter 1: Introductions and Concerns**

Everyone was silent as they stared at the Dark Knight and the boy called Robin. Wonder Woman was looking very intensely at Batman, trying to see through the blank expression that he always kept on his face. Hawkgirl and Green Lantern had their mouths wide open in shock at the news, though not as comically wide as you would see in cartoons. Superman was still ruffling Robin's hair, only for the small chuckles that came from the lad to be replaced by mutters of "Stop it. I'm not a kid!" J'onn kept a blank look on his pale-green face, almost a complete image of Batman's expression. And Flash turned his head to see everyone's reactions before he started laughing.

"Okay, we get it," Flash held his sides together as his body was racked with laughter, "Batman has a funny bone too. But seriously though, who is this kid?"

Batman glared at him, "Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Well...," Flash started uncertainly, "No..."

"He's joking all right," Robin spoke in a sassy voice, "In fact, Batman just kidnapped me into being his sidekick and calls me his 'ward' with a creepy grin on his face. Sad thing is, he doesn't even know what the word means when I asked him, so...yeah. That's me and Bats in a nutshell."

"This isn't a laughing matter." Green Lantern frowned at the kid, "Who are you, really?"

"Well," Robin began slowly- Superman held his breath as he anticipated another sarcastic answer, "To Batman, I'm his partner and...kid. To Supes, I'm one of his best friends. To Commissioner Gordon, I'm a civilian that's poking his nose in the wrong place. And to this guy," Robin pointed at the Flash accusingly, "_He _thinks that I'm a joke."

"I have a name you know," Flash frowned, "Do you know what it is?"

Robin merely blinked several times, giving no answer to the Speedster, "I have a feeling it's Steve..."

"I'll give you a hint," Flash sighed, "My costume is _red_ and I'm considered the fastest man alive. That specific enough for you, kid?"

"A name...okay... your costume is red," Robin thought out loud, "Fastest man alive...really goofy despite being an adult...I got it! You're Santa Claus!"

"Dude!" Flash cried indignantly while Hawkgirl tried to hold down chuckles, "How does that make sense?"

"Simple," Robin smirked, "You're wearing red, Santa can travel all over the world in one night, and you're acting really immature for your age. _That specific enough for you, kid?" _Now he was throwing back the Speedster's comment back with greater sarcasm.

"Is that your superpower?" Flash raised his voice slightly, "Being able to annoy someone in two seconds flat?!"

"Nope. You're just 'super-sensitive,'" Robin retorted before blowing a razz-berry at the man before him, "If I _were_ to use my real powers on you, then it would make Superman look like a weakling. No offense by the way, Superman, I'm just saying I'm really tough."

"None taken," the Man of Steel shrugged.

"How about we go another round. Maybe we'll see if you can back up those words?" This time, Flash raised his fists threateningly.

"Ohhh," Robin's eyes widened, "I'm sooo scared. What're you gonna do? Trip over a bunch of marbles again?"

"Let's see how tough you are without those marbles!" Flash retorted.

"No need to. I already lost them years ago," Robin laughed at his little joke. If this were between him, Superman and Batman, then it might be a dark joke. Or maybe an obvious fact, Robin didn't know.

Flash groaned, "Even _I _could have done better than that."

"Robin," Batman spoke to his partner. The boy stopped laughing and frowned at the Dark Knight, "I want you to be more civil around my colleagues-"

"Colleagues?" Flash repeated the words in disbelief. Six months of working with a sun-hating hero and the Speedster never expected Bats to refer to him or anyone else on the Watchtower as a "colleague." Maybe it has something to do with the kid being here? The Speedster sighed, "You know what? I'm gonna make some more frappes. Anyone else in the mood?"

"I was wondering if you could make me one of those...frappes?" J'onn offered. As the two heroes walked off, Green Lantern pursued them.

"Oh no," He began as he caught up with J'onn and Flash, "He already bombed it several minutes ago, I will _not_ have him make the place a mess again!"

"Maybe you could make me one too," Wonder Woman suggested before seeing John glaring at her and adding, "Under...careful supervision that is."

"I could go for a snack!" Robin rushed towards the kitchen. A green wall suddenly formed in front of the boy, stopping him in his tracks. Robin looked indignant at Green Lantern for an answer.

"Sorry kid," Green Lantern frowned, "But you plus Flash equals disaster. It's best that you wait till he leaves the kitchen."

"Fine," grumbled Robin. He then snatched the frappe out of Hawkgirl's hands, "But I'm taking her drink instead!"

"Hey!" Hawkgirl cried in protest, "Get your own."

As Robin drew his lips close to the straw, Batman snatched the drink out of his grasp and handed it back to its frustrated owner. Hawkgirl grunted with gratitude before helping herself to the beverage once more.

"What gives?" Robin demanded to the Dark Knight.

"This is mocha flavor and you know caffeine is bad for you," Batman explained in his grim voice, "I don't want you to have backwash either."

"It's pretty hard to stay up at least 18 hours a day," Robin protested, "Gimme a break."

"I'm sure this is coming from experience," Superman explained calmly to his young friend, "After all, you two have had your share of sodas together."

"Used to," Robin muttered under his breath. The Man of Steel's ears picked up on the last comment and felt his muscles tense up. Luckily, no one else seemed to have heard the words as clearly as the Kryptonian did.

"How did you know it was mocha?" Flash looked at Batman inquisitively.

"It's the only thing you like to make in that kitchen because it has caffeine in it," Batman replied simply, "Even you need your morning buzz."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Robin glared at his mentor as they watched the other League members walk off. Flash lingered behind, hearing the upset tone in the lad's voice.

"There's a workout room not far from here," Batman suggested, "We could test out a new obstacle course in there."

"Sounds like a plan," Robin sighed. As the duo made their way to the workout room, a strong hand was placed on Batman's shoulder.

"Batman, I was wondering if you could talk to me in private for a few minutes," Superman kept a friendly face in front of Robin, "I was meaning to talk to you about one of your rouges planning something in Metropolis. Two-Face, I think? Could we talk in my room...alone?"

As an answer, Batman nodded and let the Kryptonian lead the way into Superman's quarters without looking back at his protege.

"Oh sure, go ahead," Robin called out to the two adults, "Leave the minor unsupervised!"

This day was not turning out as he had hoped it would be. Robin was supposed to join the League, not be ignored like something unpleasant! He punched a wall in frustration, leaving a small dent in the metal. Robin felt his fingers crack from the force, expecting Alfred to have a field day over this back at the cave. Holding his hand in pain, Robin glumly slumped onto the floor. Flash then zoomed back to the kid. He took one look at the kid and sighed,

"Look, if you promise not to give us a hard time, you can come into the kitchen with us. Okay?"

Robin looked at the Speedster suspiciously before holding out a hand, "Truce?"

Flash grinned a bit before closing his own hand around the boy's in agreement, "Sure, truce." Robin winced as the Speedster squeezed his hand a little, and quickly withdrew it before Flash noticed the grimace. The Speedster then helped pull Robin up to his feet and gently pushed him towards the others. The others looked on at the spectacle and groaned with frustration. The peace between those two could not possibly last long.

"Sorry about the introductions back there," Robin sighed, his face burning red with embarrassment over his poor first impressions, "I'm really not like that. Can we start over?"

The other heroes looked at one another, wondering which of them was brave enough to as Robin put it "start over." Clearly, J'onn was the bravest as he stepped forward, extending his hand in greeting.

"I am Martian Manhunter, but you may refer to me as J'onn," the Martian spoke in a calm voice. Both heroes grasped hands briefly, already feeling the pressure of friendship blossom between them, "It's nice to meet you."

Robin grinned widely at the alien, "Vise versa. Bats told me a _lot_ about you and I was hoping to meet you...under better circumstances. Name's Robin, but you already knew that of course." He chuckled weakly at his comment.

J'onn could sense that the boy was being honest. Beneath that cold and impish nature of his, Robin seemed to be radiating with warmth. The Martian could almost feel it coming off of the lad. But he also sensed that the boy was hiding something else that even the Martian's mind couldn't make clear of.

Wonder Woman followed J'onn's example. She held out her hand, "I am Diana. I am a princess from Themyscira...that is, until I left a few months ago."

"Diana...nice name. So you're really a princess?" Robin looked very interested. Diana nodded, making the boy's mouth drop, "Get out! I always thought Batman was exaggerating. I always thought you were from outer space too, just like Superman."

Hawkgirl felt braver now that the kid was acting friendlier, "I'm Hawkgirl. But if you want to call me anything else, then don't! If there's one thing Mr. Gloom and Doom hasn't gotten out of me yet, it's my real name."

"...And I respect that wish," Robin answered cautiously. He should have given her a better first impression instead of hitting her. So much for looking tough on the first day...

Green Lantern was the last one to hold out his hand, despite it being a begrudging gesture as seen by his grim expression, "Green Lantern, better known as-"

"John Stewart. Single. Current Green Lantern of Earth. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. You previously worked in the Marines."

John glared at Robin as he listened to his own history being told to him by a _child_.

"Your identity's kind of public knowledge; the rest I just found out on my own," Robin shrugged, ignoring the Maine glaring daggers at him, "Plus you do act a lot like a drill sergeant." He quickly added, "Sorry, that was me trying to impress you miserably." Thank God that the Marine softened his expression when he said that.

"You think you're some kind of Boy Wonder?" John smirked.

Robin looked at the Marine with an expression of disappointment, "_Boy Wonder_? Two years of training and I'm going to be called that?!"

"Sure," John replied with a smirk on his face, "It suits you. You're a boy and it's a wonder how you are working with Batman."

"Let's just say we both have a high tolerance for each other," Robin replied.

"High tolerance?" Flash asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Robin merely sighed and responded, "Let's just get some milkshakes made already before I hit puberty."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Compared to Batman's room, whose only decor was the computer and a single bed, Superman covered the walls with several newspapers detailing each superhero's triumphs.

One showed Flash with a group of orphans, all of the kids smiling-_actually smiling_- in front of the Central City Orphanage. Wonder Woman dominated the front page in the Daily Planet as the picture depicts Bizarro being taken down in one punch by the Amazon, courtesy of Jimmy Olsen's amazing photography abilities. J'onn and Superman share a front page in the New York Times from two months ago, lifting up a bus filled with civilians together. Hawkgirl and Green Lantern shared a front page together as well in the Daily Planet as they simultaneously take down Copperhead and Solomon Grundy, with implications that they are now lovers in the sub headings.

But the last one that was at the foot of Superman's bed was also the recent clip posted. The Gotham Gazette also had a field day by the looks of last week's edition. On the front cover was Batman and Robin standing over the unconscious bodies of the Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, and basically almost all of their rogues together. The headline read: **NEW DYNAMIC DUO IN GOTHAM? **

"So," Batman began, "Is Two-Face actually planning something or is this really about Robin?"

Superman dropped his act the moment those words came out of his friend's mouth. He frowned, "Bruce-"

"Don't call me Bruce. Not in uniform!" Batman growled in warning.

"Batman, we need to talk about Robin. Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?" Superman matched Batman's glare with one of his own, "People are starting to talk. Apparently, kids and crime-fighting don't mix in today's world. Are you trying to ensure that your 'crusade' stays alive?"

"I'm doing what I think is best for Robin," Batman merely responded with a blank expression, devoid of most emotion.

"Do you even remember what happened the last time you tried this stupid idea?" Superman countered. Batman visibly flinched at the comment, his face briefly contorting with emotions. The Man of Steel knew he hit the right button this time.

Batman countered, "He merely suffered multiple bruising and had a broken arm-"

"Don't think you can hide all the details from me like last time!" Superman raised his voice this time, "We both know what you're saying is a lie!"

This time, the Dark Knight couldn't bear to look Superman in the eyes, only focusing his attention on the photo of Wonder Woman.

_Watch her sling those slender arms with grace. That beautiful hair of hers shining in the sunlight. So silky and smooth._

"I thought we both agreed two years ago to never let him play dress up and patrol Gotham at night anymore!"

_Look at Wonder Woman's face. Her lips a natural rosy-red. Her skin a nice tone of olive._

"I shouldn't be surprised that you went back on your word though!"

_See the twinkle in her blue eyes. Sparkling like the stars that you see her gaze at in the long nights. A near-perfect resemblance to how Snow White might look in real life._

"History is just going to repeat itself if you don't end this before it begi-"

"I LEARNED FROM THAT MISTAKE CLARK! DON'T PRETEND I FORGOT ALL ABOUT IT!" Batman roared in Superman's face.

"This is child endangerment, Bruce!" Clark retorted, "I didn't want to talk about it in front of Dick because I didn't want to upset him. He's just a kid-"

"He's almost twelve years old and growing into a fine young man-"

"He is still a minor in the eyes of the law!" Clark threw back, "If you keep this up, Child Services will intervene and make it their _ambition _to arrest you and take Dick away from you and Alfred! Is that what you want?"

"Are you threatening to let that happen to your own _godson_?" Batman growled in a more menacing tone, "I know I made mistakes back then. I know I screwed up, but I am trying to make things right! Do you really think I wouldn't learn from the past?"

"No," Clark said quietly, "I just don't want him to get hurt again...like last time!" He ended that sentence with another glare that was even more terrifying that the Bat-Glare, not that the Dark Knight would ever tell the Boy Scout that.

"I swear that nothing will happen this time," Batman deflated, his defenses going down. He pulled off the cowl to reveal Bruce Wayne in an effort to show his friend how serious he was about the statement.

"Swear your life on it and I'll believe you," Clark crossed his arms.

Bruce raised his right hand automatically and spoke clearly, "I swear on my life that I will keep Robin safe from every possible danger that I can. As both his mentor and as his father."

"You better, Bruce," Clark proceeded to walk out of the room, "Or sooner or later, you won't be either any longer."

**Soooo, what do you think? Leave your comments in the reviews. Keep on reading, I will update as much as I can. For those of you that are more interested in "We Love Our Two Dads," don't worry, I will update in the next day or two. Once again, please offer suggestions on how dialogue should work with certain characters.**

**In case you guys are thinking "Why the ***k is Green Lantern acting like a jerk to Robin?" or even better "Is Dick going to be acting like a...dick?" my answer to the first question is that he was depicted as a no-nonsense person in the show, so I'm trying to maintain his character in this story too. He already has to deal with Flash and he doesn't think crime-fighting should be viewed as a game. So in a way, he's like Batman, viewing the cities he protects as war-zones and he is just another soldier putting his life on the line. **

**As for the second question/complaint, my reply is that Robin is still new to the whole superhero thing. He doesn't know if he should be himself or try to act like his mentor. **

**Also, this Flash is also Wally West like in the show, just thought I'd put that out there since this is a part of the DC Animated Universe and I want to maintain him in the show for reasons of accuracy and story-telling. Thank you again for your growing support, I'm glad to get these ideas out online. Publishing these stories already makes my day perfect. Happy Readings!**


	3. Chapter 2: Frappes and More Surprises

**Hey again. Just want to get a few things out of the way before the chapter begins. ****First of all, there was a comment about Robin acting like a brat last chapter, and I assure you that he is not really like that at all. He will show his more positive side in this chapter.**

**Secondly, I kept Wally West as Flash because I am trying to stay true to the DC Animated Universe and there will be a special friendship forming between the Speedster and the Boy Wonder in this series like in the mainstream comics too. Wally is older in the comics and in Young Justice too, so I thought it would be an even cooler big brother-little brother relationship going on here if that stayed the same.**

**And thirdly, this first arc takes place in Season One after "The Enemy Below" and "Injustice for All." So that means that Batman is becoming more than "part-time" as he claims to be in the series. ****This chapter will mainly focus on Robin's second attempts at befriending the League by bonding over Flash's frappes. Enjoy!**

****Disclaimer: All rights to Justice League Belong to DC Comics and Cartoon Network. Batman and Robin Belong to Bob Kane and Bill Finger. This is a slight AU of the Justice League cartoon.****

****Chapter 2: Frappes and More Surprises****

"Okay. We got peanut butter for Robin's frappe, some Oreos for J'onn's, sliced bananas for Diana's, a carton of vanilla ice cream for everyone, and chocolate syrup in case someone asks for it," Flash listed out loud while he placed each item mentioned into the blender, "Are we missing something?"

"Yeah, a shield!" John answered as he created a green field around the monstrous little machine. Hawkgirl smirked at the spectacle unfolding.

"For what?" Robin asked Flash as he helped pull out several paper cups with covers from a cabinet. He winced again as pain shot into his hand, but no one noticed this at all.

"For when this thing explodes in Green Lantern's face again," Flash smirked at the Marine, who merely rolled his eyes at his friend's antics.

"Imagine if Batman got hit instead," Robin whispered to the Speedster, "I'd think he would die of embarrassment." Both chuckled at the thought of the Dark Knight's face if ice cream splattered every part of his outfit. Wonder Woman and J'onn shared a smile as they watched the small interaction unfolding before them.

Hawkgirl leaned towards John and muttered, "Some unexpected surprises we're having today, huh?"

"You mean the kid already getting on Flash's good side? Or the fact that we're making frappes against my wishes?" John frowned at the Thanagarian.

"The kid," Hawkgirl nudged her head in Robin's direction, "Who knew Batman was a parent?"

"Aside from Superman, I don't know," the Marine responded, "Why did he decide to tell us at all? It's not like he needs a new babysitter or something?"

"You have a point there," Hawkgirl crossed her arms, "Since when did Mr. Part-Timer decide that his own son should come aboard the Watchtower?"

The Marine opened his mouth to respond when he heard Flash speak,

"Alright. Is everyone ready?" The Speedster asked everyone in the room, looking around to see everyone nod in unison. With the confirming nods, he flipped a switch on the wall, "Then let's get this party started!"

"I'm taking cover," Hawkgirl proceeded to walk out of the kitchen, leaving John all alone with the others. J'onn looked at the setting Flash adjusted the blender to before crying out, "Flash, no! You set it to-"

But the warning came too late as the blender went berserk, screaming and bouncing around like a maniac. Surprised, John accidentally lowered the energy field he set up, exposing everyone else to the spewing chunks of peanut butter and syrup. Hawkgirl, who had the sense to stay by the doorway, dashed out when she saw John lower his guard. Diana tried to block the projectiles with her bracelets, but they failed her; much to her shock and dismay. Robin was about to use his cape as a shield when a red blur dashed at him and dragged him out of harm's way (if ice cream could be considered harmful.) When the Flash slipped on some of the mess, he fell and covered Robin with his body, taking the majority of the attack upon himself. J'onn merely used his powers to phase through the oncoming mess that came his way.

Thinking fast, Robin moved out of Flash's protective embrace and threw what appeared to be a batarang at the switch, turning off the blender.

"-hyper-drive..." J'onn finished awkwardly when he noticed that the onslaught had ceased. Hawkgirl came back into the room and merely stood there with her mouth open in shock. John groaned, "Not again!" as he looked over his ruined (for the second time in over an hour!) uniform. Wonder Woman attempted to wipe off the mess that landed in her hair, only making it worse with each attempt. Flash merely wipe some ice cream off of his face and started licking it. Robin took one look at the Speedster and followed his example.

"Mmm," Robin licked syrup off of his gloves, "Oreo and peanut butter! Bad for clothes, but still good to eat!"

Flash looked at the now destroyed switch and then back at the kid in his lap. Even with a full-grown adult blocking him, Robin managed to hit that target perfectly...well, almost perfectly.

"John's right. You really are a Boy Wonder," Flash smiled at Robin, impressed with his marksmanship.

"Stop calling me that!" Robin groaned, "It's not cute, no matter how many times you say it!"

"I like the sound of it," Hawkgirl replied as she entered the room once more, "You're acting the part pretty well."

"And don't say you're a tough guy because we know that's a lie," Green Lantern added.

"I _am_ tough," Robin protested, but the tone he was using didn't convince anyone in the room at all. It's impossible to sound manly when you voice cracks a little and goes an octave higher.

"You should take it as a compliment, not as an insult," J'onn reasoned gently. Robin sighed and continued to lick his hands clean of ice cream.

"At least someone's enjoying themselves," Hawkgirl sighed, "The blender acts up again and these two are licking themselves like cats."

"You should see the cats in Gotham," Robin replied, "Bats has a soft spot for this one kitty-"

"What happened in here?" A dark voice growled from the other kitchen entrance. Robin turned his head and merely smirked at the sight while he felt Flash tremble slightly at the sight of the Dark Knight. Or maybe it was the sugar.

"We were just making frappes," Robin simply said. He held out an arm and jokingly said, "Want some?"

To everyone else's surprise, Batman smirked at the boy and said, "Thanks, but I'm not as disgusting as you are."

Robin countered with a remark that might have ended with someone dying it he wasn't the one who said it, "Says the guy who had a dream where he and Catwoman were-"

"That's enough," Batman glared. Robin jokingly put up his hands in surrender before the Dark Knight continued to the others, "Meet me and Superman in the conference room after you clean up this mess. No excuses."

"I'll get a mop," J'onn said dryly before proceeding to phase through a wall. Robin looked on with amazement before he went to the cupboard and took out some rags. As he reached into the cupboard again, Robin grabbed his hand in pain, wincing as he felt more bruises form.

"You okay," Flash asked before dashing up to the boy and examined the hand.

"It's nothing," Robin tried to explain, "One bruise won't kill-ouch!"

"You know, J'onn's kind of a doctor," Flash pointed out as he felt the hand gently, "Maybe he could look at it-"

"Don't worry, I've dealt with worse," Robin shrugged off the offer, "I'll have this checked up on later."

"But your hand-" Flash began before Robin interrupted him,

"Less talking, more cleaning. Now get to it."

"Excuse me Mr. Bossy Pants," the Speedster grumbled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

With the combined efforts of the Justice League (and a little help from Flash's super-speed), the kitchen was once again spotless in a matter of minutes. Robin helped out the most next to the Speedster, wiping off ice cream in places where the others couldn't reach due to their sizes. Their costumes, were another problem altogether though. Flash suggested using the sink spray before everyone vetoed that idea.

"You seem to know your way around the kitchen," Flash observed, "You Batman's cleaning maid too?"

"I am actually," Robin smirked sarcastically, "My usual cleaning uniform's back at the cave though."

"Is it French-Maid style?" Green Lantern smirked.

"Nah, Batman's not that crazy," Robin replied with a grin. Green Lantern's grin relaxed slightly until Robin added in a more serious tone, "It's more of a janitor's outfit. Sometimes, he makes me dress like a butler and serve him drinks while calling him 'Master Batman' in some phony British accent."

"You're kidding!" Green Lantern's eyes widened with surprise.

"Does he really make you do that?" Wonder Woman sounded alarmed.

Robin laughed, "I'm just joking, Princess. But I really am better at cleaning than Bats is. He doesn't even know how to use the vacuum cleaner."

"He doesn't?" Flash chuckled, "So much for being the best at everything."

"He's only the best at everything that he thinks matters," Robin explained, "It doesn't help that he doesn't know the first thing about cleanliness. Between you and me, I bet he wouldn't even bathe unless our mutual friend threatens him."

"What mutual friend?" The Speedster asked, "Superman?"

"Nah," Robin grinned, "I won't say who, just that they're someone really close to me and the Bat. Not even Superman can control..._them_, you should ask him when the chance comes."

"How tragic," Hawkgirl pretended to whine with pity, "The Man of Steel is losing his influence over people."

"Come on," Robin began to walk out of the kitchen, "We have a meeting to attend." J'onn proceeded to fly out of the room as soon as the boy said this. Wonder Woman followed suit while the remaining four heroes made their way out. Robin was in the lead while Flash followed behind closely. John and Hawkgirl trailed behind for a few moments before the Marine started running towards the young boy.

"Who says _you're_ attending the meeting?" Green Lantern demanded as soon as he caught up to Robin, "It's for League members only."

"Says Batman," Robin shrugged, "Want to complain to someone, go to him."

"On another note, we are _never_ making frappes again," Green Lantern directed his words towards the Flash now.

"Is this the part where I become black and blue too?" Flash asked nervously. He stayed close to Hawkgirl, in case things got violent.

"I'll let it slide this time, for your sake," Green Lantern stated, "I keep forgetting how childish you really are."

Robin stopped in his tracks at the word "childish," thinking back to what happened earlier. He cleared his throat,

"Umm...I just want to say I'm really sorry about my behavior. I thought acting tough would get some respect around you guys. Guess it had the opposite effect."

"No need to apologize twice," the Marine replied, "Just quit talking about it and we'll forget it too."

"You do not get respect by demanding it or even through intimidation. You earn it," J'onn explained.

"Got it," Robin nodded, "So, am I still skating on thin ice?"

"Not really," Hawkgirl smirked, "Just don't steal my drinks next time."

Robin nodded again. These guys were a lot different than Batman. It was..._weird_. Maybe it's different because he knows the Dark Knight so well. And Superman for that matter. Those two heroes are his family, so maybe it should feel weird to be around different heroes. He doesn't know why they are so concerned about him though. It doesn't take being a detective to know that Superman is still thinking about two years ago. Robin already got passed it, that's what he kept telling himself. It wasn't easy being So what was the big deal?

"Yo Rob," Flash asked. The young hero turned around to face the Speedster, "Just wondering something. Why is a kid like yourself hanging out with Batman for, anyways? Aside from the whole...'My dad is Batman'-thing, you know."

"I have my reasons," Robin replied vaguely.

"Like...what?" Flash asked, "Glory-seeking? Adoring fans?"

"Not those two you just mentioned," the young hero answered.

"Then what?"" The Speedster demanded.

Robin blushed, "It's...really embarrassing."

"How long have you been training again?" Martian Manhunter slowed down so he could float alongside the young boy, who groaned as _another_ adult began to question him, "Two years?"

"Duh," Robin said, "Why do you ask?"

"Because this is not a game," J'onn replied, "I believe Flash wishes to know what your motivations are because he is concerned for your safety. As am I for that matter. We do not wish for you to be harmed in any way life-threatening."

"Then quit worrying about it," Robin frowned, "I didn't just spend two years learning how to punch or kick, you know. There was also hacking, learning to escape all kinds of traps, and obviously detective work stuff."

"Perhaps you should reconsider this type of work for the time being," J'onn responded before flying off, "I do not wish to offend you in any way, but...we cannot allow rookies to endanger themselves."

Robin felt his face burn again until he heard Wonder Woman call out, "That's not fair. I only started a few months _before_ Robin."

"That was different," Green Lantern replied as he made his way past the young boy, "You showed us how well you can fight. Plus, it's hard to argue with an Amazon warrior."

"You don't need to remind us," Flash chuckled as he passed Robin as well, "I didn't forget the last time I got on her bad side."

Robin felt like he was standing on top of the Gotham Police Department again, with the ruffled Commissioner Gordon looking like he was going to have a heart attack, and how he felt that no one was impressed with the idea of Batman having a _sidekick_. Not a partner, the "s" word! He just showed these guys only an hour ago that he could hold his own and they're _still_ worried about Robin's safety? When he finally reached the conference room, he saw that all of the seats were filled up. All seven. Just seven. Not eight, for him. When he saw Batman waving him over, Robin knew what was coming up next. Sure enough, when he reached his mentor, he found himself being placed on the man's lap like a child. Robin muttered to his mentor,

"You better add another seat soon!"

Batman whispered back, "I don't know. I don't see a problem with _this _arrangement." God, Robin could practically hear the Dark Knight smirk as he said this.

"I do!" Robin retorted, "I'm eleven years old. It isn't cute in public."

Batman ruffled his son's hair, "Next time, there will be another chair here. Promise."

"What's the purpose of this meeting, Batman?" Wonder Woman asked, bringing the Dark Knight and his protege out of their conversation.

"Here it comes," Superman groaned under his breath, his words barely audible to the others.

"The reason for this meeting," Batman began slowly, "Is to introduce a new member to the Justice League."

"Great," Flash smiled, "So who's joining us? Aquaman?"

"No," Batman answered.

"Green Arrow?" Green Lantern suggested.

"No," Batman repeated.

"Your mother?" Flash smirked.

"No! But cute," Batman glared at the Speedster.

"Then who is it?" J'onn asked, his suspicions already making the answer seem obvious.

"I think I know where this is going," Hawkgirl muttered.

"The newest member," Batman answered, "Is sitting on my lap right now."

**So...how did I do with the writing? Any questions you have for me? Any suspicions you wish to confirm? Just reply in the comments and I'll come back to you on that. Thank you all for your support as usual. Spread the word about this story if you can so this can become more popular. Wait, was that a bad thing to ask? Sorry, just want others to hear about this story too. From now on, updates will happen every other day since I'm writing "We Love Our Two Dads" at the same time. Happy Readings!**


	4. Chapter 3: Doubt

**Hi again fellow readers. Thank you all for your patience, I feel like I'm getting your hopes up too often every time I make an update and it turns out it is not a new chapter. **

**Just wanted to let you know that I made a mistake about when this arc takes place. It actually occurs after "The Enemy Below" but before "Paradise Lost," sorry about that confusion.**

**After you are done reading this introduction arc; which should be done in about four more chapters, you are more than welcome to give out suggestions for continuing the story. This includes adding more character to Robin or any other member in the Justice League through different adventures that may or may not have been apart of the DC Animated Universe. I also want to thank a guest reviewer again for helping me fix a mistake I made in the prologue concerning the security system. Now let's get back to the story.**

******Disclaimer: All rights to Justice League Belong to DC Comics and Cartoon Network. Batman and Robin Belong to Bob Kane and Bill Finger. This is a slight AU of the Justice League cartoon.******

******Chapter 3: Doubt******

Everyone in the room was silent when Batman said these words; Flash didn't make an attempt to catch the Bat's bluff on the statement. He knew that the Dark Knight was serious about what he had just said. Hawkgirl's face looked like she was considering the choices of either laughing or scowling. Superman had his hands covering his face with shame, so Robin couldn't see his expression that much. J'onn looked the most composed next to Wonder Woman, their expressions hardly changing at all. Green Lantern was obviously going to be the first to express disapproval, his mouth widening with each passing moment.

Robin predicted that this would happen, it was no different than last week when he was introduced to Commissioner Gordon. Words like "child endangerment" and "reckless" and even "stupid" were thrown carelessly at the boy. Not by Gordon of course; he tried to say things in a less offensive manner unlike Bullock, who just didn't know when to shut up. Even after taking down most of Batman's rogues in one night alone didn't do much to gain the Gotham PD's trust. It seems like no matter how many hoops you go through, adults keep telling you that it's not good enough. Robin merely took a deep breath, closed his eyes and waited for the explosion to happen.

Three...

Two...

One.

"Are you insane?" Green Lantern was the first to speak, "It's one thing to have a sidekick-"

"Partner," Robin muttered under his breath. Both he and Batman made it clear to each other as well as to Commissioner Gordon that they were equals on the field, and yet people were still calling him the "s" word. Even the villains were treating him like a minor threat.

"-it's another thing to just bring him here and make us induct him into the League-"

"He's not making you do anything!" Robin cried indignantly, unwilling to let the Marine say these things about his own mentor. All eyes were officially on him now but Robin continued bravely, "Don't take Batman's words so seriously, sometimes he doesn't know when to either speak or shut up...no offense, by the way Bats." He turned to face Batman with a look of regret, expecting to see a scowl on his mentor's face; only seeing his mentor shrug slightly in agreement to his protege's words. But Robin sensed that Batman felt rather offended by that statement, even he couldn't get away with saying that and not expect repercussions afterwards.

"Then precisely why are you here in the first place?" J'onn asked calmly. Robin went red, he could practically _feel_ the Martian trying to pry into his mind. Why _was_ he here other than the obvious fact that Batman wanted him to join this group? Robin looked at Superman, silently begging for help from his friend; unfortunately, Superman shook his head as a reply. The boy sighed, understanding that the Man of Steel wouldn't be able to help at all at this point.

"Whatever you feel is the right answer, don't be afraid to say it to us," Woman Woman gently spoke. Robin couldn't bear to look at the Amazon straight in the eyes, feeling as if all words would fail him now. Batman gently squeezed his shoulder to wake him from his stupor, obviously saying, _'J__ust follow your gut, son.'_

Robin took a deep breath again and spoke, "We just wanted to talk to you guys about the _possibility _of me joining the League. And it would be just like Batman's position, only part-time. So you wouldn't really be seeing that much of me overall. So what's the real problem?"

"You just started a _week _ago!" Everyone turned to Superman this time. Robin heard Batman silently groan behind him, annoyed that the Man of Steel would give his two cents about this.

"That's all the more reason for why you can't join us, kid," Green Lantern pointed out, "You're too young and don't have enough experience in the field."

That wasn't true! Robin has had plenty of experience before this day; there's just a big gap around the time between his time on patrol last week and...his last mission prior to last week. Plus, he's been training a lot with other people, almost the same line-up of teachers that Batman went to before he became a superhero. Just because he officially began again last week doesn't make him a weakling.

"You do realize that I just kicked your butts over an hour ago, right?" Robin countered. Now it was his turn to smile again. The Flash and Hawkgirl both blushed at the recent memory, too proud or too ashamed to admit it out loud. Green Lantern on the other hand...,

"You just caught us off guard. Its not all about luck, kid. You wouldn't last five minutes with the likes the Joker."

"I just kicked his butt last week, in case you missed the news," Robin pointed out, "Superman even has the page on the wall in his room here!"

"He does?!" Flash turned to the Man of Steel for an answer. All he got was a subtle nod from the Kryptonian.

"Just give me a chance to prove I can handle this sort of thing you guys do on a daily basis," Robin pleaded, "Give me a test, have me take on a tough villain, _anything!_"

As Wonder Woman was about to speak, the Watchtower alarm went off; lights flashing red while an annoying beeping sound made itself known every other second. Sensing that Batman was about to move, Robin hopped off of his lap and watched the Dark Knight head over to the computer. Several seconds later, the monitor screen showed a gray, bulky man busting through a wall carrying two large bags with him, with someone that looked a lot like Killer Croc accompanying him. Several police officers attempt to shoot the man, but he merely walks through without flinching. He then starts swatting down the officers when he was close enough. The fight was over in a matter of seconds, the villains only leaving unconscious cops and a trail of money behind them.

"Solomon Grundy," Batman growled. Robin looked at him with confusion.

"You talking about the nursery rhyme, boss?" Robin asked his mentor.

Batman shook his head, "That's Solomon Grundy. He can't be killed and has enough strength to rival Superman."

"I'd like to see him try," Superman replied cockily, having recovered from his embarrassment earlier.

"So this guy's a zombie?" Robin asked, "A zombie that's kind of a ripoff of the Hulk?"

"Pretty much," Batman replied, "Looks like you have your chance, Robin." The boy smiled with utter glee while Batman addressed the others, "He's in Gotham right now. We know the city better than you, so it's best to follow our lead. Meet us at the Police Station before confronting Grundy. You take the Javelin-7, Robin and I will take the Batplane." And with that, the Dark Knight marched out of the room with Robin following close by.

When the door closed behind them, Flash muttered, "Batmobile, Batarangs, Batplane, its like he's naming everything after himself!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The ride to Gotham took no more than thirty minutes, but it seemed a lot longer to Robin. Especially when Batman remained silent throughout most of the flight, excluding what he said right before touching down on the roof of the Gotham PD,

"It's only fair to warn you that Grundy is highly aggressive. Do not engage him upfront, use your size to your advantage and _pay attention what's going on carefully__!_"

Robin was expecting these last six words to be said, but he didn't bother interrupting Batman out of fear of angering the man. What he wasn't expecting however, was Batman to place a gentle hand on his shoulders before Robin could get out of the plane and say,

"Don't worry about impressing the League. Just focus on getting the job done that way you usually do, okay? If it's Croc we're dealing with, then do what you did last time to take him down."

The boy only nodded. When he saw the rest of the League already waiting with Gordon, his stomach did a somersault. _Great,_ he thought_, Now I can embarrass myself in front on the Comish too! _He only half-listened to the Commissioner as he gave them an update about Grundy's location. Apparently, he and Killer Croc had split up after the bank heist, leaving the other rouge's location unknown. Flash occasionally gave Robin a concerned look before returning his gaze to Gordon. At least Bullock wasn't there to sneer at him...

"Our best chance is to go after Grundy first," Superman decided, "He loves violence just as much as he loves money."

"What about that Croc guy?" Green Lantern asked.

"He's not a concern right now," Batman replied, "If possible, then he's probably somewhere in the sewers by now."

The League split up into three groups in order to intercept their enemy: Hawkgirl went with Green Lantern, Wonder Woman headed up north by herself, Superman and Martian Manhunter went to the east, and the Flash accompanied the Dynamic Duo in the western direction. Before heading off, Batman gave them all holographic maps of the city to help them navigate through the place easily.

"Remember, if you spot Grundy, call us immediately," Batman warned the League members, "Do not engage and stay on you guard!"

Robin sensed that it was aimed more towards him than the others, however, considering how Batman seemed to be looking at his partner more than the League members.

He tried to distance himself from those worries as he began to leap from building to building, travelling "Batman-style" as Alfred would call it. But each leap, each somersault, each grapple-swing only brought more dread and worry to Robin's mind. What if he _did_ mess up? What if more people got hurt because of him?

"Are you alright, Robin?" Batman asked his partner when he noticed how quiet and distanced he looked, "You're usually more talkative on patrol."

"Not in the mood, I guess," Robin replied.

"Maybe this could be a chance to get to know each other better?" Flash suggested as he dashed underneath the two heroes.

"Now's not the time," Robin huffed.

"I'll get the wheels rolling," Flash replied, obviously ignoring the boy's objections, "My favorite color's blue. What's yours?"

"So how do we know when we've found this Grundy guy?" Robin asked his mentor as they landed on another rooftop, trying to avoid answering the Speedster's question.

BOOM!

Batman and Robin landed on a rooftop and skidded to a stop. Flash dashed up to them and stared at them.

"We found him," Batman replied.

"What's going on?" The Speedster demanded. As an answer, Robin pointed to the mound of smoke piling up in the air a short distance away. Flash watched as people began running in the opposite direction they were heading. Car horns and sounds of rubble falling confirmed the trio's suspicions that their target was nearby.

Out of impulse, Flash dashed ahead of his comrades to confront the beast. Robin tried following him, but Batman grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

"Stay close," the Dark Knight hissed.

No sooner had he finished his sentence did the Flash come flying back, bouncing off of the pavement before hitting a wall and leaving him covered with scrapes.

"Well what do you know?" Robin observed, "He _is_ the fastest man alive. No one could have lost that soon, right?"

But before Batman could answer this, the ground started shaking as the large zombie known as Solomon Grundy came charging forth like a rhino. Batman jumped off the roof and glided to the ground. No sooner had he touched the concrete did he throw a batarang at the beast, only for Grundy to knock it aside like it was a mere fly in his face. But when the projectile was ten feet away from the monster, it exploded and pushed Solomon towards the Dark Knight. Robin noticed the small hole where the batarang had landed and at his mentor.

"What happened to the 'No Killing' rule?" Robin demanded as he made his way towards Batman.

"There was no one nearby and Grundy is already dead," Batman countered as he literally dragged his protege away from Grundy as he charged at them, with the Flash following close by.

"Yeah, but it doesn't make it right!" Robin countered fiercely.

"You know, I really hate to interrupt the annual dialogue between two partners, but look out!" Flash cried out as a car was tossed into the air and headed towards them. Although they dodged the vehicle, the explosion that followed knocked everyone off of their feet.

Robin was the least harmed and so, got up quickly. He was about to throw one of his projectiles at the zombie when Batman called out,

"Do not engage! Call the others and fall back."

"But he's getting awa-"

"I don't care! Call for backup and keep your distance from Grundy," Batman interjected.

Robin ignored this and threw one of his weird batarangs at the creature's back. Grundy didn't stop marching off, so Robin tried throwing a fallen brick next to his feet, hoping to attract the monster. As the chunk of rock bounced off Grundy's head, Robin smirked when the creature turned around. He started frowning again when Grundy roared and charged towards Robin. He kept on throwing more and more of his projectiles at the thing, none of them doing any noticeable damage to the creature. In desperation, Robin pulled out his bo staff and charged at the monster.

"Grundy no like boy," the zombie growled, "Grundy smash!"

"Vise versa," Robin retorted.

Right before the two collided with one another, Robin leaped up into the air and whacked Grundy over the head with his staff. This seemed to have dazed the beast, but now he was heading towards Batman and Flash now, both still trying to get up! It was happening too fast, Robin wouldn't be able to stop Grundy in time. Everything seemed to slow down, going to frame-by-frame. He failed to be there for Batman! He never got to apologize to Flash for his last comment towards him! They were both going to die right now and it would be all of Robin's fault!

Right before the beast could reach the fallen heroes, a green bubble surrounded him, trapping him in place. The momentum failed to work as Green Lantern's ring proved too strong for Grundy to deal with. The zombie bashed at his prison in vain, trying to break out of it. Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl then flew in and brought the Dark Knight and Speedster to their feet. Superman came in while J'onn went towards Grundy, incapacitating the creature with his mind as best as he could.

Soon afterwards, the police were able to drag Grundy off while Superman and J'onn accompanied them in case the zombie got loose again. While reporters surrounded the other heroes, Robin knew that he was in trouble, big time. He wanted to sink into the shadows but Batman kept a firm grip on his shoulders. They still had to find Croc first, that is unless Batman was going to fire Robin first.

When the reporters started leaving, Green Lantern only gave Robin a look of disappointment. He could practically hear the Marine say, "Nice going, Boy Wonder!" He was too ashamed to face these people now. Without warning, Robin broke free of Batman's grip and ran away from the others. Batman looked on with shock before crying out,

"Robin!"

**That's the end of this chapter then. I'm doing my best to make Robin _not_ look like a brat, it was just bad first impressions back there. Please review as they are this story's bread and water. Also give constructive criticism in terms of how fights should go as well as any punctuation mistakes made. Next chapter will come out on the 8th of this December, so don't worry about this little cliffhanger ending right here. Any suggestions, please leave in the reviews and I will check on them. Happy Readings!**


	5. Chapter 4: Fear of Failure Part 1

**Okay, you've all been waiting for a month since the last time I updated this story. One reviewer, black target, was horrified at the original message announcing my postponing the updates in case you are wondering about the review they sent. I'll also be honest with you all, I don't think I've done a good job with some of the chapters so far. Also, this chapter is going to be short because I felt I was depriving you all of the story for too long.**

**Disclaimer: All Rights To Justice League Belong to DC Comics and Cartoon Network. This Is A Slight AU of the Justice League Cartoon.**

**Chapter 4: Fear of Failure Part 1**

Robin pelted through the streets of Gotham with no destination in mind. All he wanted was to gain as much distance between him and the others as possible. But it wasn't saying much, considering how this was Gotham and that Batman knew the city like the back of his hand. As Robin ran even faster, he felt something crunch underneath his feet, but he didn't stop to see what it was. This was a stupid idea from the start and Robin knew it! Why did he decide to go against better judgement and play "Superhero" again?

Glass breaks underneath him, his boots protect his feet from any harm that might have come. Women in short shorts crowded together in groups...must be in the East End already, they're wearing too much make-up...It's obvious Batman's going to fire him for good, or worse...Robin can almost see Gordon's look of disappointment, that stupid sneer on Bullock's face with that big cigar in his mouth. Two other people almost died because of him just now. He wasn't a hero at all, he was a failure.

How could he have broken a promise he made to himself so easily? Never again, he swore. Maybe it would have been easier if he swore on a stack of Bibles. There were so many nightmares during that time...

_"Robin, _stay here._"_

A trap carefully laid out...Batman's unconscious on the ground. _His_...face grinning at him like the clown, only scarier. It all happened so fast...

_"So, Batman has an assistant now?"_

Ropes threatening to snap...two bodies being held up by their necks...

_"Heads or Tails, Birdboy. Either way, someone's gonna die."_

A coin is tossed into the air...bones crunch like before...

_"Thanks to you, Two-Face escaped and an innocent civilian is dead!"_

BANG! A body crumples onto the ground...

_"I don't know, Commish. The Bat's one thing, but the kid? Must be a joke..."_

_"_He _thinks that I'm a joke."_

_"Is this some kind of a joke?"_

_"This is child endangerment. This idea is just stupid-"_

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

The nightmares never ended for months. Robin ran into a dark alleyway, slumping to the ground. Peace and quiet. Peace and quiet. His chest rises up and down in a fast motion. It feels like a hammer is banging on the inside of his chest. Banging harder and faster with each passing second. His breathing starts becoming more rapid, Robin squeezes his eyes shut in hopes of blocking out any more of the memories. This wasn't how a hero was supposed to act, Batman always referred to them as soldiers in a war. And soldiers _never_ show emotion.

His breathing became harder and harder, sweat beading around his face. Robin noticed how much his hands were shaking already, it was like he had just woken from another bad dream. Robin tried stuffing his hands into his armpits, but winced as his injured hand acted up again. But he could hold out for a couple of hours. Alfred could take care of it in a heartbeat, like he always does.

As he continued to look down at his hand, Robin noticed a shadow before him. It was growing larger and larger and larger, it resembled a person. One of the dark shadow's arms was reaching inside of its body, like it was looking for a-

ZOOM! BAM!

Robin turned around to see a taller shadow standing before him. He reached for his utility belt, but stopped when the figure moved closer to reveal a familiar red face with lightning bolts on both sides of their head...

"Flash?" Robin was startled.

"Who were you expecting?" The Speedster grinned, "Santa Claus?"

"Was that loud noise you just made really necessary?" If looks could kill.

"Hey, it's not my fault someone was trying to pull a fast one on you," Flash shrugged. He gestured to the crumpled figure before the two and then to the gun now in pieces before continuing, "Besides, the others want you to come back. We still have Croc to find, you know."

Robin snorted, "Like _you_ know anything about Killer Croc."

"Well I know that you know Croc," Flash pointed out, "And I also know that Batman is going to kill me if I return empty-handed."

"Point taken," the young hero admitted.

"So why did you run off?" The Speedster asked.

"I...was afraid you'd all be mad at me," Robin confessed, "Believe me, Batman's been in a generally good mood with you for the past six months."

"Grouchy Batman is considered normal?" Flash raised his eyebrows, "And who says we're mad? Worried's more like it!"

"I'm really sorry," Robin muttered, "When Batman told me to call for backup...I thought I could handle Grundy for just a little longer. I figured Superman would hear and fly to the rescue or something. But then when Grundy almost crushed you and Batman...I...I thought help would never come. And then Batman was looking at me-no, he was _glaring_ at me. It didn't take long to put two and two together to figure out what would happen next. Disobeying orders is not an option when working with the Dark Knight. You either obey them down to the last letter, or you're fired on the spot."

"Harsh," Flash looked sympathetic now, "But he's probably calmed down enough to re-think that, sooo-"

Flash held out a hand to the young hero, but Robin pushed himself off of the ground, wincing as pain shot up to his hand again. The young hero tried to hide it from the Speedster, but ended up yelping even louder when he used both hands to lean against a wall. The Speedster was at his side in an instant.

"I'm telling you J'onn can fix that up in a jiffy," Flash insisted.

"And _I am _telling you-," Robin began in a frustrated tone.

"_III'm_ _nooot gooinng_," the Speedster cut him off in a sing-song voice.

"Amusing," Robin frowned, "I'm fine. That J'onn guy is worried. You're worried. And don't get me started on the Man of Steel. Just quit worrying so much! Seriously, I've dealt with worse things on patrol."

"You're a kid, of course I'm gonna wor-," Flash stopped in mid-sentence. He looked at Robin with suspicion now, "Wait a minute...what do you mean 'dealt with worse things on patrol?' Didn't Supes say you started around a week ago?"

The young hero felt his face becoming cold and tried to retract his statement, "Tha-that's not what I meant-"

"You're hiding something, aren't you?" Flash insisted. Robin shook his head in response, though his face became more and more ashen. The Speedster frowned, "Come on, Rob. Tell me."

"Oh sure," Robin replied sarcastically, "An adult wants a kid in Gotham to open up to them...adorable. I meant I already dealt with the likes of Joker and the Penguin."

"Then why're you as white as a ghost?" The Speedster demanded.

"You have no idea how easily a statement can be taken out of context, do you?" Robin frowned, "Can you just leave me alone please?"

Flash sighed, "Want a ride on the Flash Express?"

"If you mean you give an eleven year-old a piggyback ride then the answer is no," Robin glared, "Can we just take the long way or something?"

"You're asking the Fastest Man Alive to slow down?" Flash looked at Robin like he just asked for a car. Seeing the young hero's face falter even further made the Speedster relent, "Okay, okay. But you are _so_ paying me back for this later."

**To Be Continued...**

**When Robin was saying, "And I am telling you-" and Flash interrupted him in song, this was a reference to the first lines in the song, "And I Am Telling You" from the musical/movie, Dreamgirls.**

**I'm so sorry for the long wait, everyone. But I'm back now. Please Review, I really need opinions on how the story is coming along. The dialogue is definitely something I would like you all to check up on, because I still don't know whether or not I am making the characters sound like they do in the show. Happy Readings!**


	6. Chapter 5: Fear of Failure Part 2

**Hello everyone, I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, guess my vacation from working on stories was too long. In case you didn't know yet, Chapter 4 is now an actual chapter, so I suggest reading it before you look through this one. Also, I've been polishing up Chapters 2 & 3 as well, so now the characters as well as the story are improved by a bit, at least in my opinion.**

**I know I've been saying this a lot, but I really need the advice of everyone who is reading this on how to write the dialogue, considering how this is a Justice League cartoon from the early 2000s. Now let's see what Flash and Robin are up to...**

**Disclaimer: All Rights to Justice League Belong to DC Comics and Cartoon Network. Batman and Robin Belong to Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Warning as this is a slight AU of the Justice League cartoon.**

**Chapter 5: Fear of Failure Part 2**

"Flash? Flash, talk to me!" Batman barked into his communicator, "Where are you?"

Flash's chipper voice responded through the com. link, "Hey Bats, I found Robin."

"Then why aren't you two back yet?" The Dark Knight demanded, his voice growing louder and angrier by the second.

"Well, uh, thing is Batman, Robin...wants to take the...long way back," Flash's voice now sounded more leveled, uncomfortable even. The Speedster could actually _hear_ Batman's nostrils flaring. He should have expected this sort of reaction from a man with a hair trigger temper. Flash continued slowly, "So uh...how's the search for Mr. Alligator coming along?"

"I'm going to talk to Robin now," Batman ignored the question from the other line and pulled out a communicator from his utility belt, "You can hang up now."

"You know, he's right next to me," Flash spoke through the other line in an exasperated tone, "You can just tell me what to say and let me do the rest."

"Too much trouble," Batman retorted. He lifted his other communicator to his face and growled into it, "Batman to Robin. Batman to Robin. Do you read me? Over."

"Robin to Batman here. What is it?" The young hero sighed on the other line. He already knew what his mentor was going to say. But it didn't make it any better though.

"You are to come back here this instant, young man!" Batman spoke to the communicator, his grip around the device now dangerously strong.

"Look, I'm sorry I ran off like that, Batman," Robin's voice on the other line sounded weary, "I-"

"There's no time to talk about it right now," Batman interjected, "Just meet us in the sewers over at the East End."

"Fine," Robin huffed, "Robin out."

"Robin, wait!" Batman cried out, "Where are you?" But the only thing he could hear now was static. The Dark Knight groaned and pressed on the communicator in his ear again, "J'onn, I need you to locate Robin. Can you do that?"

"I will see what I can do," Martian Manhunter's voice came through. Several moments later, an audible cry of shock could be heard on the other line.

"J'onn, what's wrong?" Wonder Woman turned on her communicator as well.

"I cannot sense Robin," Martian Manhunter gasped, "He is keeping me out of his mind. Every time I try to reach out to Robin, he is blocking me out."

"Then find out where Flash is," Batman replied. Several moments later, Martian Manhunter's voice returned,

"When I located Flash, he gave me an image of a street sign. It was vandalized, so I couldn't make out the actual street name."

"What did you see then?" Batman asked.

"The graffiti spelled out 'Crime Alley.'"

Batman's face went rigid for a few moments before he regained his composure and responded, "Then they're almost there. Tell Superman to stay with Grundy until he's secured. That will be all. Batman out."

"Soooo," Green Lantern began once Batman ended the transmission, "Looks like you taught that Boy Wonder of yours too well."

Batman's expression was blank as he stared at the Marine, "If you're implying that I taught my own son how to keep other people out of his head, then you'd be giving me too much credit. I'm just as surprised as you all are."

"Are you alright, Batman?" Wonder Woman asked her teammate nervously, "You seem more...tense than usual."

"I'm fine," Batman replied coolly.

"If you're concerned about Robin, then don't be," the Amazon looked at Batman's clenched fists and smiled gently, "He's with the Flash. He'll keep Robin safe no matter what."

"I'm not worried," Batman growled, "I'm frustrated that Robin went off against orders."

"You are such a bad liar, Batman," Green Lantern smirked, "No offense."

"Does it look like I'm lying?" Batman's voice became a deadly whisper.

"Dude," Green Lantern frowned, hardly flinching at the tone thrown in his direction, "You're trying to convince a former Marine that you're not worried about your kid. When I was a kid, my dad would be tearing his hair out if I was late coming home. And then he'd be lecturing me for a couple of minutes before he'd hug me and make me promise not to scare him again. Believe me, I know a worried parent when I see one."

Batman pretended not to hear the Marine, "Come on, I know a shortcut that can get us to the sewers faster."

Hawkgirl smirked, "So lead the way, Daddybats."

The look on Batman's face wiped the grin off of the Thanagarian faster than the Flash could run. The Dark Knight growled, "Don't ever. Call me that. _Again._"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So what's it like in Central City?" Robin inquired as he and Flash walked through the streets of Gotham, "Well you know, aside from having fewer loons on the street."

"Let's see here," Flash pondered, "Well it's cleaner for one thing. And the police are friendlier too. Actually pals with most of them."

"They probably don't see as much action as they used to," Robin suggested, "The guys in this city are a little paranoid."

"Central City also has this burger joint with an All-You-Can-Eat bar every other Tuesday," Flash added, "I'm always the first in line...also the last one too. Man, the burgers are just so good they should be outlawed."

"If that burger place was here, then it would be," Robin smirked, "You'd be amazed what people might put in those patties. Like in this musical called _Sweeney_ _Todd_, the main characters make these meat pies out of-"

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Flash cut the young boy off, "It feels like we're going around in circles."

"Don't worry," Robin reassured his companion, "We're near the East End all right. The dirtier the buildings get, the closer we are."

"That doesn't sound reassuring," Flash grimaced.

"Not supposed to," Robin replied nonchalantly, "Don't worry, you'll get used to this place."

"I don't think I will," the Speedster frowned, "I don't even think _you're_ used to being in a dump like this."

"Gotham has its perks. There are good charities, the Gotham Knights' games are great to watch," the young hero listed out loud, "The nightlife is kind of where most of the action happens, though. I bet most of the crooks we face just put on a costume so to get a little attention once in a while."

"What about you?" Flash asked.

"What about me what?" Robin turned to the Speedster with a pensive look on his face.

"You never really told me why you wear a cape and mask like old Batsy does," Flash smirked, "Is it for the same reason like these guys you just described to me? Or are you just trying to get your dad's attention for a change?"

"I'm definitely _not_ trying to get his attention," Robin glared.

"Sure looks like it," Flash sneered, "Why else would he be annoyed?"

"Because it's his screwed-up way of showing he worries," Robin sighed, "Batman was- and still is -completely against me dressing in tights. It's suffocating me, to be honest!"

"Parents tend to do that with their kids," Flash tried reasoning, "I mean, I have an uncle who-"

"That's nice from their perspective, but do they ever think about how the kids are seeing the reactions?" Robin didn't seem to hear the Speedster at all and know seemed to be venting, "All I ever see with Batman is a whole lot of disappointment. It's like he's trying to discourage me."

"You know what?" Flash decided, "Forget I asked in the first place."

"Thanks," Robin grinned weakly, "Sorry about that little tempertan-"

"Alright Robin, first off, stop saying you're sorry so much," Flash stopped him in mid-sentence, "Second off; if you're so stressed about Batman's behavior, why don't you talk to him about it? You know, like a son _should_ do with their dad?"

"Because this is Batman we're talking about first off," Robin answered, "And second off, how _do_ I have a conversation with him. I mean, it's easier with Superman because we've known each other for years, but its almost impossible for me to even understand Batman outside of costume."

"It's called 'trying,' Robin," Flash explained gently, "You both just have to make an effort."

The two continued walking for a couple of minutes in silence, aside from the occasional police siren or screeching car. Flash kept on looking over his shoulders every time he heard a noise. Robin simply ignored them like they were just natural things to be heard. When other people came into view, Robin suddenly grabbed Flash's hand and gripped it tight. The Speedster was confused for a few moments before he saw the other people up close. Some of them were women dressed in short skirts and wore a lot of make-up. There were men grinning at these women, and some even grinned at Robin menacingly before they saw Flash glare at them and turned away from them. Flash squeezed the young boy's hand in reassurance, trying to remind Robin that he was with a superhero and therefore, completely safe. It was a good thing it wasn't Robin's injured hand that he squeezed.

It was actually strange to Flash overall. Only three hours ago, neither one of them could stand the other's presence and now Robin was holding onto his hand like a little child would. Did Batman ever have to deal with this erratic behavior? Robin's grip seemed to slacken a bit as the people they saw became fewer and less atrocious looking.

"So how long until we reach the sewer?" Flash asked as soon as he felt Robin's hand pull away from his own.

"You're standing right on top of an entrance," Robin replied. The Speedster looked down and saw that his feet were on top of a metal circle with the word **SEWER** engraved into the piece.

"Guess that means we wait now?" Flash questioned Robin.

"Beats getting another strike with Batman, I guess," Robin sighed.

**To Be Continued...**

**Thank you all for your support. It's really great to be back in the loop with this story. Let's just hope I can keep up the good work as consistently as I did with one of my other stories. Happy Readings Everyone!**


	7. Chapter 6: Down in the Sewers

**Hello everyone. Welcome to another chapter of Dynamic. Back to the story.**

**Disclaimer: All Rights to Justice League Belong to DC Comics and Cartoon Network. Batman and Robin Belong to Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Warning as this is a slight AU of the Justice League cartoon.**

**Chapter 6: Down in the Sewers**

Robin looked at their surroundings, expecting to see a familiar costume come into view any moment. He was tempted to call Batman, but the image of the Dark Knight's frustrated face made Robin decide against the option for the moment. He detached his utility belt from his uniform and checked each individual pocket. If they were going to fight Killer Croc, the best Robin could do was make sure he had enough weapons in his inventory to last the night. After ten minutes, Robin counted out his grappling hook, five smoke bombs, fifty feet of extra cable, the Bat-communicator, and thirty Bata-no, he didn't call them that-

"Weird looking batarangs, huh Robin?" Robin was so focused on what he was doing, he almost pinned Flash to the ground the moment he spoke up. Realizing his mistake, Robin pulled his bo staff away from the Speedster and turned away in embarrassment.

"They're not batarangs," Robin spoke to a nearby lamp post, "I call them...forget it, its a stupid name."

"Come on Rob," Flash pleaded, "I won't laugh."

Robin sighed, "I call them...birdarangs." He turned his head towards Flash and saw that the Speedster's face remained impassive for a change. At least he's able to keep his word.

Robin looked out in the distance again and sighed. He then turned to Flash and said, "Maybe we should contact the others and tell them that we're here?"

The Speedster nodded and pressed into the communicator in his ear, "Flash to Green Lantern. We're at the location, where are you guys?"

"Green Lantern here," a gruff voice came through, "We're on our way, just give us a few seconds." No sooner had the Marine said these words did a large green bubble come into view, holding Batman and Green Lantern inside. Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl followed closely and landed right in front of Robin and Flash.

"Glad to see you two are still in one piece," Hawkgirl exaimined the two heroes.

"Any news about...Grundy?" Robin asked nervously as he watched Batman lift up the sewage entrance and proceed to climb down.

"He's in custody now," a familiar and comforting voice rang out above the young hero. Robin looked up and grinned when he saw it was Superman accompanied by Martian Manhunter. Superman continued, "Grundy won't be causing trouble anytime soon, so don't worry."

Robin sighed with relief as he followed Flash down into the sewers, "I'm not sure I want to see that thing for as long as I live."

"You alright, Robin?" Superman asked gently, taking note of the young hero's hallow voice. Robin nodded rapidly, not feeling in the talkative mood at the moment. As he climbed down the ladder, Robin almost gagged on the intense smell of rotten eggs, expired milk, and all kinds of incomprehensible aromas. The moment Robin's feet touched the concrete ground, he covered his mouth and nose with his cape. He would have bumped into Wonder Woman if Hawkgirl didn't pull out her mace and send electricity flowing through the weapon, bathing the heroes in bright light. Green light stretched out at a greater distance than the mace's light could, so Hawkgirl withdrew her weapon for the moment.

"Maybe you should keep the light to a minimum," Wonder Woman suggested to Green Lantern, "It might give away our location."

"You might want to tone it down a notch too, Princess," Hawkgirl muttered sarcastically.

"So...what is exactly our plan of action here?" Flash questioned Batman in a nasally voice. Sometimes, there were some things the Fastest Man Alive can never prepare for, "Superman just uses his x-ray vision and we follow him to Tick-Toc?"

"Tick-Toc?" Wonder Woman asked Superman.

"Don't ask," Superman replied.

"Not possible here. The walls are lined with lead. Our best shot is to let Green Lantern take the lead from here," Batman replied nonchalantly, as if he were just being asked about the weather. The stench didn't seem to bother him at all. Does that cowl of his also act as a filter?

"How does that help us find Killer Croc?" Robin asked as he searched through his utility belt for a gas mask. Or a water mask. Or anything that would help block out the stench at all!

"Because my ring can detect heat signatures like footprints," Green Lantern held up his ring in response, "Being a part of the Green Lantern Corps isn't always about beating up bad guys, you know. Sometimes, you'll need a way to locate criminals that got away."

"But aren't reptiles, you know, cold-blooded?" Robin raised his left eyebrow in response. When the Marine continued walking as if he didn't hear the young hero, Robin sighed and simply kept his eyes open for any sudden movements in the cramp, moist tunnel. Little did he know that the Dark Knight was now right next to him. Maybe he should be keeping his ears on the lookout as well...

"All animals can project heat," Batman whispered to his partner, "And you know as well as I do that Croc's a human. He's just...different."

"More like a...what do people call guys with powers again? I know the first part sounds like meta," Robin frowned as he struggled to recall the phrase.

"Metahuman?" Flash suggested, "Like me?"

"Yeah," Robin nodded, "A metahuman."

"Only fair to warn the rest of you, Croc is also an adept swimmer," Batman cautioned, "He can jump almost as high as a flying fish." Hawkgirl heard this and backed away from the water's edge very slowly. Flash followed the Thanagarian's lead and stayed as close to the wall as possible.

Robin felt cramped being with everyone so close together. It was almost like being in a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich. Not even the return of Superman comforted him that much. The Man of Steel kept on glancing over his shoulder at the young hero, it was obvious what he was thinking about right now. At first, it was great knowing that he had Superman's support on the matter; but now it was difficult when they were on opposite sides of the table.

It quickly turned out that Green Lantern's ring could find footprints, since the Marine started finding large footprints that resembled those of a crocodile. But Robin noticed how sometimes the prints were too close to one another. Other times it looked like Croc was walking diagonally or even walking in place. Then it became really weird when Robin saw multiple footprints in the same general area, like Croc was just walking in place. Did the others know about this at all?

"Anyone else noticing this?" Robin called out, unaware of his question bouncing around the tunnel as if he just spoke into a megaphone. When everyone shushed him, Robin felt his cheeks burn. He forgot how loud his voice could be sometimes.

"If you're asking about the footprints going in different directions, then yes, I did notice that," Batman replied, "Croc seems to be wounded, but I don't see any blood. We can rule out serious injuries for the moment."

"You think he was in a fight?" Flash asked. He squeezed up to where Green Lantern was and looked at the footprints bathed in green light. The Marine began to examine the walls with his ring as well, exposing large hand-prints every now and again. There was also specks of red stains on the concrete as well, splatted on the floor and the wall. Batman went over to one of the larger stains and prodded it with a finger. He examined it closely before standing up again and faced the others.

"It's blood," Batman announced, "Looks like Croc was in a fight recently."

"Probably with Grundy," Superman observed, "Maybe that's why they split up so early on in the chase."

"And look!" Hawkgirl activated her mace and directed the light towards the water. Floating on the surface was flecks of green...

"Money!" Robin cried out. He heard his voice bounce around in the sewers and lowered his voice, "Maybe Croc got the lion's share of the loot and left Grundy for dead."

"You know Grundy's a zombie, right?" Flash muttered to Robin, "So he's technically dead already."

"Looks like we got ourselves a trail," Hawkgirl mused.

"No," Batman muttered. He walked towards the water's edge and pulled out one of the dollar bills, "This can't be right. The footprints are too far away from the water, so it wouldn't be possible for the cash to land ten feet away like this. So why-?"

But no one knew what Batman was going to ask since Superman shouted loudly, "EVERYONE! GET BACK TO THE EXIT!"

Right as Superman shouted this, a loud BOOM! was heard further down the tunnel and a great rush of water flowed through. Green Lantern attempted to form a shield around the others, but the water knocked him off of his feet before he could accomplish that. He would have been lost to the current if Hawkgirl hadn't grabbed a hold of his hand, but was nearly lost in the oncoming flood as well until Wonder Woman was able to use her lasso to keep the two from being separated from the group. J'onn was nowhere to be found.

Flash and Robin ended up getting knocked off their feet too, but Batman pulled out a grappling hook and shot it at an exposed metal pipe. He managed to grab Robin's outstretched hand before the water pulled him too far away and hold it tight. Robin winced in pain as his injured hand acted up again, the pain growing worse as Batman unconsciously tightened his grip around the hand. Superman was able to hold his ground against the flood, but failed to see a gray figure in the water knock him down swiftly before any reaction could happen.

No sensation of pain washed over his body as expected, but the Man of Steel found himself further from the group. Even his strength could be limited to what happened in the environment around him. To make things worse, he saw a large set of teeth about to close around Flash's leg...

**To Be Continued...**


	8. Chapter 7: From the Jaws of Defeat

**In case you are all bothered by this, I'm sorry that these past few chapters have been shorter than earlier ones. In the end, it all comes down to how much you can write down before your laptop runs out of battery power. Fortunately, this will be pretty long to make up for my mistakes. Also, I've updated Chapter 6 in case you want to understand this chapter a little better. This is going to be the final chapter in this story arc before moving on to some of the episodes in Justice League (possibly.) Moving on then...**

**When Killer Croc was called "Tick-Tock", this was a reference to the crocodile from Peter Pan. I've learned that references have been made in episodes of the Justice League from other forms of media, so I thought I should try doing that as well.**

**Disclaimer: All rights to Justice League Belong to DC Comics and Cartoon Network. Batman and Robin Belong to Bob Kane and Bill Finger. This is a slight AU of the Justice League cartoon.**

**Chapter 7: From the Jaws of Defeat**

Time seemed to slow down as Killer Croc's jaws dropped closer and closer around Flash's ankle. Soon, the teeth were about to embrace the flesh when an iron rod was jammed down the villain's throat. Two different cries of pain were heard above the din, one belonging to Croc, the other belonging to Batman. Killer Croc gagged at the weapon in his mouth and started splashing around blindly, bashing his head into a wall or an exposed pipe. Superman heard someone shout Robin's name and saw the young hero being pulled with the current, taking the Speedster with him. Without thinking of his actions, the Man of Steel started swimming towards the two before hearing his other teammates struggle in the water. Trying to ignore how heavy his chest had become in just moments, Superman reluctantly swam back towards the group.

"Superman, save Robin!" Batman shouted above the dim of the flood. The Man of Steel could see with his heightened vision that small threads from the grappling hook's chord was starting to tear. If he chased after Flash and Robin, the others might drown in the flood.

He pretended not to hear the commanding voice and dived underwater, fighting against the strong currents to reach the source of the flooding. Although Superman was strong, the current proved to be a challenge for him. The force was strong enough to hurt his eyes, thus making it nearly impossible to see or use his visionary powers at all. If he were to use more of his strength, then Superman would risk creating a buildup and create even more damage to not only the sewers, but to the world above as well. Freezing the water could be an option, but was it powerful enough to freeze all of the water? Then there were the others to think of, still struggling.

The sound of rope snapping forced Superman into action. He pounded at the water, making his way towards the hole that he knew was only 30 feet away from where he was now. Some of the disgusting sewage found its way into Superman's mouth, but he tasted worse things before and merely ignored the foul flavor now on his tongue. He pushed through, foot by foot. Finally, Superman located the hole where the explosion occurred. Using one of the large boulders that was dislocated from the wall as a result of the destruction, Superman tried to slow the flow of water down, but the pressure was too much for him to handle. Suddenly, the resisting force didn't seem as strong as before, like it was weakened. Superman looked up and saw that Martian Manhunter was adding his strength to the Man of Steel's. They pushed the boulder into the hole, and then J'onn held the makeshift barrier in place while Superman froze the exposed cracks around the wall.

With the source of the flooding now blocked off, the water level started to fall consistently. Batman and the others panted with exhaustion, and pulled themselves off of the ground. Wonder Woman leaned against a wall for support, her hand grasping at her lasso around her hip, ensuring that it was still safe in her possession. Green Lantern was kneeling beside Hawkgirl, who was as limp as a rag doll. He pressed his fingers against her neck, finding no pulse, and started to pound at her chest. Seeing that it didn't work, the Marine lifted up her helmet slightly and pinched her exposed nose. He then pressed his lips against Hawkgirl's, breathing life back into her body. Moments later, Hawkgirl began to gasp, spitting out water. When she opened her eyes and saw Green Lantern standing over her, Hawkgirl punched the Marine hard and pulled her helmet back into position.

"If you ever do that again, I will kill you!" Hawkgirl warned.

"If I ever do that again, it would be to save your life," Green Lantern retorted.

Batman marched up to the Man of Steel and glared, "I told you to go after Robin!"

"It was either that or I let you all drown! Flash can take care of him," Superman panted, "Believe me, I'm still kicking myself for the decision I made too!"

"I'll be kicking you next if that happens again!" Batman growled.

"Can't you follow their trail?" Wonder Woman asked the Marine.

"Impossible," Green Lantern replied, "They didn't exactly leave a trail to follow in the water. No heat signatures, nothing. It's worth a shot though."

"Maybe we can contact them," Hawkgirl suggested. She pressed into her ear,

"Flash, can you hear me? Flash, answer me." She huffed in frustration, "Signal isn't working down here, obviously."

"Then our best chance is to follow the tunnel in the opposite direction," Batman watched the current of the stream, as if expecting Robin and Flash to rise from the water safe from harm.

"We must hurry then," said Martian Manhunter. Batman pushed past the Martian without apologizing, leaving the others to follow the Dark Knight. His demeanor seemed to change from cold and unemotional to a frenzied state of panic.

"Daddybats to the rescue, huh?" Hawkgirl muttered to Green Lantern.

"I heard that!" Batman warned.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Robin still didn't know what would happen to him and Flash now that they got separated from the group...again. It was just a miracle that he was able to pull out his bo staff when he did. His eyes caught sight of something gray in the water, and it was too close to Flash for comfort. When Robin saw sharp teeth about to take a bite out of the Speedster's exposed ankle, he knew he had to do something. It wasn't easy to hurt Batman, especially if you knew him too well to know that consequences would follow afterwards. But twisting his wrist with an injured hand proved to be an accomplishment on its own. Reaching into a utility belt with an injured hand in search of a weapon in only seconds could be an even bigger accomplishment too. But now Robin's hand was stinging with pain as he and Flash continued to float downstream with the flood, desperately trying to grab onto something. The force of the water was too strong for them to swim against, and there was no pathways now to reach out for.

His grappling hook was now lost to the sewers and its inhabitants when Killer Croc's tail lashed out earlier when he was dealing with the bo staff in his mouth, leaving Robin and Flash with little to work with. Flash had tried getting them out of the water earlier by getting themselves airborne with one arm rotating at a speed fast enough to push them forward, but he was too low on energy to even try it. Apparently, metabolism played a big part in how Flash's super-speed worked. Any back-up food that the Speedster brought with him was either devoured or lost to the sewers as well. Flash only proved to be helpful by keeping his hand closed around Robin's other hand to prevent further separation.

The way Robin saw it, there were only two options at the moment. One: stay in the water until the current either brought them towards something to use or onto dry land before Killer Croc attacked them. Two: use one of their other tools to grab a hold of something like a sewage pipe and pull themselves out of the water. But with his grappling hook gone, the only thing Robin could think of that could help now was his cape, and it barely reached down his shoulders. Even if they did make a rope out of it, the best they could hope for was possibly four feet to work with.

Option One doesn't look any better though...

"Flash!" Robin gasped as water went into his mouth, "Take off my cape!"

"Trying to make a parachute out of it or something?" Flash replied lightly.

"Just do it!" Robin coughed. Flash obeyed and managed to pull off the small cape from the young hero, who undid the knot on it with his injured hand. The absence of Robin's cape left him feeling more exposed somehow. At least he could keep his head above water much easier now without the extra weight. Robin continued, "Now rip it into four equally thin pieces." The next few moments were filled with sounds of fabric being torn apart.

"Now what?" The Speedster awaited orders like a lieutenant.

"Knot them together so it becomes a rope," Robin answered. Flash tied each strip together, one end connected to the other. He almost dropped the strips altogether since they were so wet and slippery. Robin continued, "First thing we see that looks helpful, throw the rope over it and grab the other end so we can hang on to it."

"Like what?" The Speedster was struggling to follow what the young hero was saying.

"If you see something like a pipe hanging over us, throw the rope over it," Robin explained patiently.

"Got it," Flash nodded. That was easier said than done.

They floated for a while until a pipe came into their sight. Flash tried throwing the makeshift rope over it so he could pull Robin and himself out of the water, but missed and barely managed to grab the rope before it was lost to the water. Several minutes of waiting brought another pipe in their way. Flash tried throwing the rope, but the pipe was too high up for the other end of the rope to hang down long enough to be pulled. The third pipe that came by was too weak and collapsed into the water with the two heroes when they tried pulling on it.

"Well this is just great," Flash replied sarcastically.

A shiver ran down Robin's spine and started to make him tingle. He was starting to lose sensation in his injured hand, which would have been good if he wasn't trapped in the water. Robin shuddered, "Flash. How long have we been floating for?"

"Don't know. Maybe twenty-thirty minutes tops?" Flash suggested.

"Feels like longer," Robin struggled to keep his teeth from chattering without success. His legs started becoming numb with cold, he could barely feel them right now. Thank goodness he was wearing pants this time around, otherwise, he might have started catching hypothermia by now. Robin couldn't even feel something bumping into his legs that felt hard and scaly. He didn't feel the the teeth that grazed across one of his legs, tempted to take a bite. But he did see a gray figure in the water underneath him, sharp-yellow eyes looking up at him with great interest. In one of the creature's hands was something that looked metallic, with the appearance of being broken off from something much larger. Before Robin could react, he felt strong arms drag his body underwater.

XXXXXXXXXX

Batman wasn't angry. He wasn't worried either. Afraid was definitely not in his dictionary either. Why would he be feeling any of these things right now? Batman was supposed to be an unemotional creature of the night. Striking fear into the hearts of criminals. Bruce Wayne, however, was a different story. He was mad at Dick for risking his life twice already on the same night; once for running off for whatever reason was in his head at the time, and once for making Batman release his grip and leave Robin and Flash to the fate of the sewers. He was worried that Dick would get hurt. And he was afraid that Killer Croc would have a nice dinner by now. He could already imagine the monster licking his teeth, red and black fabric sticking out of his mouth.

Bruce Wayne couldn't do anything to the criminal without authorities or the public judging him, but Batman was already thinking up several ways to torture Killer Croc for causing this in the first place. He was already imagining how he would tell Dick that he couldn't be Robin anymore. How he would tell the boy that he wasn't meant to fight criminals. That it was too dangerous for him to put his life on the line. This time, Batman thought-better yet, hoped, there would be no tears shed.

With each step, Batman imagined Killer Croc's scaly neck being throttled. Imagined hearing the beast cry-no, scream for mercy. It helped him from losing it down in the sewers. His mind was so occupied with these thoughts that Batman barely noticed J'onn flying up towards him, keeping his distance from the frantic Dark Knight.

"I am trying to communicate with Flash telepathically right now," J'onn calmly stated to Batman. When the grim hero refused to reply, J'onn continued, "I can understand how you are feeling right now. Not knowing whether or not a loved one is safe. The feeling of helplessness whenever you do not know where to find them. Wanting to do everything you can to-"

"I'm not worried," Batman glared at the Martian threateningly, "I'm furious with Robin disobeying orders _again. _When we get back to the Batcave, I'm planning on benching Robin indefinitely. His incompetence is-"

"A figment of your subconscious to avoid dealing with your emotions," J'onn cut him off, "But whoever you are mad at, it is not him."

"Don't you have a Speedster to find?" Batman growled.

J'onn sighed and focused his thoughts on the Speedster. His mind was always the hardest to keep track of. There were just so many thoughts bouncing around, it was a wonder how Flash was able to concentrate on his work. A flicker of Flash's subconscious made itself known. He seemed to be...occupied with something. A brief image of Killer Croc and Robin flailing around in the water came into view. The echo of the thought wasn't faint, it was close!

"I've found them," J'onn called out to the others.

"Where's Robin?" Batman asked quietly.

"They are not far from here," J'onn continued, trying to avoid answering the question, "Superman, can you hear something?"

Batman directed the question towards Superman this time, "Where. Is. Robin?"

Superman answered for J'onn, "Fighting Killer Croc in the waters, from what I could hear."

XXXXXXXXXX

He managed to take a deep breath beforehand and held it while he struggled with Killer Croc. Robin threw a punch at the criminal, but Croc had already moved out of the way before the fist even came close to him. Recalling Batman's warnings about Killer Croc's swimming abilities, Robin struggled to keep his eyes on the criminal. He saw movement and lashed out, trying to grab a hold of something. A tail lashed out at his cheek and left Robin dazed for a moment.

He felt a thick fist crash into his stomach, releasing any oxygen Robin was able to hold. Now things were becoming problematic, he could see Flash trying to reach out for Robin, only to be swatted aside by a large tail. He tried reaching for the...surface, but Killer Croc...dragged him...down further into the depths of...the water. Robin squirmed, forgetting all of his...training as his lungs began...to protest. He kicked and punched...the scaly...skin, but the blows had little to no...effect on Croc.

Then Robin felt his neck being grabbed by those horrible, clawed hands of his. Squeezing...at his...windpipe, bubbles...of air gushing...out of Robin's mouth. This wasn't supposed...to be how...Robin imagined dying. Not...here, in the...sewers. Another...meal...for Killer Croc to feast...upon. Not found...until hours later as...waste. His last...moments looking...into those...yellow eyes...those...yellow...eyes...

Without thinking...Robin jabbed Killer Croc in the eyes and was thrown aside...as the creature roared in pain...the sounds...muffled by the...water. Another...pair...of arms...wound...themselves...around...his...torso...too...weak...to...fight...them. Air...returned to...his lungs as...the surface broke. Robin gasps rapidly, gulping down the cold air despite how foul it smells. He tried fighting the arms holding him, but Robin relaxed when he heard a familiar voice asking in a teasing voice,

"What? You wanna be fish food tonight or something?"

Robin chuckled weakly as Flash gently dropped him down the concrete floor, "Maybe some other time, I guess." Robin scanned the area around him,

"Where are we, anyways?"

"Who knows," Flash shrugged, "At least we're on land now. How're you feeling?"

"Like a million bucks," Robin replied sarcastically before seeing the serious look on Flash's face, "I'll be alright in a few moments. How about you?"

"I've felt worse," the Speedster grinned. When Flash turned away, Robin noticed a rather large cut on his cheek.

Just then, the surface of the water broke again, Killer Croc leaping up with his teeth bared. His eyes were dripping with blood, his feet directing the creature towards Robin. Flash tried to dash at him, only to trip and fall to the ground.

"Low on energy, right," Flash grumbled weakly, "Starting to regret saving your life, kid."

"Don't be," Robin smirked. He slowly pulled himself off the ground, "I can take him."

Despite Flash's cry of protest, Robin dashed at Killer Croc. When they were more than ten feet from each other, Robin leaped up into the air and kicked Killer Croc right in the head. As Croc stumbled, Robin used the momentum from his jump to push off of the creature, pushing him off balance. He turned his head to gaze at Croc, grinning in satisfaction. Robin's grin faded when he saw the criminal turn around and charge at him again. He tried to cartwheel out of the way, but his legs jolted from numbness and brought Robin to the ground. As Croc continued to charge at him, Robin managed to slide between his opponent's legs, catching Croc off guard.

As Robin hit the wall in front of him, an idea came to him. He turned around, faced Killer Croc's back and yelled,

"Hey, Croc. I heard that people love to eat guys like you down South. Can you clarify that for me?"

Killer Croc faced the young hero, his gray face growing a dirty red now. He roared, "You've made a fool out of me for the last time! I'll crush your body with a rock and then we'll see who's laughing!"

"Commenting on the first part, kind of a cliche thing for a villain to say, don't you think?" Robin continued taunting. He paused, feigning surprise, "Oh wait! You don't think, do you?"

That last comment threw Killer Croc on edge. He charged at the young hero, unaware of the smirk already on his face. Just like before, Robin leaped into the air before Croc got too close, and pushed himself off the creature and heard a loud CRASH! as his opponent collided with the wall in front of him. Robin cheered loudly until he saw Killer Croc turn around again, his eyes looking off into different directions. As Robin got into a fighting stance, Killer Croc collapsed onto the ground, unable to fight any longer.

Flash didn't look convinced though, "You sure he's not faking it?"

"Doubt it," Robin replied, "I've been told that this guy is lacking in the brains department."

"Seems to have enough to plant some bombs ahead of time," Flash retorted.

"I don't know," Robin looked pensive now, "This definitely needs to be looked into la-"

"I see them!" A woman's voice cried out from a distance. For some reason, the image of Wonder Woman came into Robin's mind.

"Is that Killer Croc on the ground?!" A deep masculine voice expressed surprise. One by one; Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Superman ran over to them. Everyone began talking at once, chattering up a storm. There was so much noise, Robin was surprised that he could even make out half of what anyone was saying. Some like Superman were asking if he was alright, others were asking about Killer Croc.

When Batman rushed out into Robin's view, he was expecting some form of praise. Maybe not as obvious as the others, but a small grin on his face perhaps. He wasn't expecting his head to have a bump quickly forming, his vision a little dazed for a few moments, or for anyone to react so loudly against the action.

Batman was definitely going into lecture-mode now, ignoring the angry cries of protest, "If you ever do something that stupid again-"

"You mean save Flash's life?" Superman cut in, his glare matching Batman's now, "Because Croc was about to attack him when Robin jabbed him with his bo staff."

"Or taking down Croc all by himself?" Flash piped in defiantly. When they heard Flash mention this, everyone began crowding Robin again for details when Batman cut them all off,

"I'm taking Robin home now." His glare gave no room for argument. Everyone except for Superman.

"So you can yell at him for doing a good job?" The Man of Steel matched his glare with Batman's own.

"So I can check up on his injuries," Batman replied calmly, "Mainly the one on his head as well as his hand."

There it was!

"What are you talking about?" Hawkgirl inquired.

"The one he gave himself back at the Watchtower and needed medical attention immediately," Batman frowned.

Without warning, Robin felt himself being lifted onto Batman's back. He grumbled under his breath despite himself.

"Will we see Rob again soon?" Flash asked like a kid who enjoyed a great day at the carnival.

"We'll see," Batman replied before fading into the darkness.

**Thank you all for your patience. Next chapter will be the Paradise Lost arc, which will come up in the next few days. Happy Readings!**


	9. Chapter 8: Uncle Clark Part 1

**Hello everyone. How are you all dealing with the blizzard today? I just want to get this out of the way first. I know that there are a good deal of people reading this story, but no one has reviewed it since December. Please, let me hear your opinions! I don't know if you're loving or hating this story, its driving me crazy!**

**Moving on then...this chapter is going to take place right after the first arc. It involves Superman confronting Batman again about Dick being Robin, this time interacting with the Boy Wonder. Here we go then.**

**Disclaimer: All rights to Justice League Belong to DC Comics and Cartoon Network. Batman and Robin Belong to Bob Kane and Bill Finger. This is a slight AU of the Justice League cartoon.**

**Chapter 8: Uncle Clark Part 1**

"Will you hold still for just a second, Dick?" Batman grumbled as Dick repeatedly tried pulling his injured hand out of the older man's grasp. He was nowhere close to being as gentle as poor old Alfred by a mile.

"I've been holding still for _nine-hundred _of those and you're still not done!" Dick snapped, "Ouch! Watch it, you're causing more harm than good."

"Well we wouldn't be doing this if you had just told me about the injury earlier instead of being stubborn," Batman retorted as he pulled the hand back into place and continued to apply an ice pack over it. That last comment made Dick blush in embarrassment. So far, the swelling had gone down a great deal, but it was still red and now covered with several small bruises around the fingers.

"To be honest, I'd rather have Al look at it," Dick muttered under his breath. He hissed in pain as Batman prodded at his hand again for the umpteenth million time in over an hour. Without thinking, Dick snapped in anger, "Yes, we both know the hand is injured. Thank you for reminding us of that important detail again."

Batman glared at his partner, silently telling him to shut up. On any other day, the man would have stood by and watched Alfred clean up Dick's injuries first. But since Alfred had fallen asleep long before the Duo made it back to the Batcave, Batman was forced to recall as much as he could about treating a broken hand, hardly paying attention to when the butler checked up on his own hands in the past. And according to Dick, he was probably the worst doctor in the world. Thankfully, Batman took that insult with a smirk, since he knew it was just half a joke.

Dick rubbed his head gently, still recalling how Batman had apologized for hitting him there in the first place, and then began to lecture the boy about failing to notify anyone about his injury. He didn't bother mentioning how Flash knew, since he didn't want the Speedster to face the wrath of Batman as well. Then again, maybe Batman already knew about that detail and was currently planning some form of torture for Flash. He remembered how Uncle Clark was forced to deal with itching powder in his clothes for three days when Dick was five, noting how childish it was for a man who hunted lunatics at night. But this was probably retaliation for the incident that occurred earlier that week when the reporter did something equally as immature, although Bruce refused to talk about with Dick for reasons unknown.

Afterwards, Batman proceeded to take off his cowl, becoming Bruce Wayne and began to check up on Dick's wounds. There were several more bruises on his back and legs, a few small teeth marks where Killer Croc tried to bite him, and although Bruce wasn't exactly sure of it, he believed that Dick had caught pneumonia from being in the sewer waters for so long. There was also the matter of the Dynamic Duo smelling horrible, but injuries always came first when Alfred was around. The only things that were clean at the moment were simply the injuries, as they would have gotten infected if they were left as they were during treatment.

Dick shuddered as a small breeze from inside the cave blew his way, chilling him to the bone. He used his other hand to wrap the thick blanket around him more closely. Aside from dealing with his son's injuries, Bruce made sure he was properly with warm blankets and had a bucket of hot water to put his feet in. A thermometer suddenly found itself in Dick's mouth, and he was forced to keep the blasted piece of glass or whatever it was made of in there until Bruce pulled it out and examined it for several seconds.

"Alright," Bruce finally declared, "Dick, go take a _long_ shower and then straight to bed. I'll tell your teachers you won't be coming in tomorrow since you were out in the cold last night."

"What about the hand?" Dick held up his heavily-bandaged hand to make his point across, "I'm pretty sure it won't be all better in two days. What's the excuse going to be for that?"

"Easy," Bruce replied as he peeled off of his costume and pulled on sweatpants, "You hit a punching back the wrong way, didn't tell anyone about it for a few hours and now you're paying the price for it. They'll understand when I tell them, don't worry." It sounded plausible, since Dick did take boxing lessons as an alibi. It was also useful for self-defense without drawing suspicion.

"I'll hold you to your word for it," Dick declared as he marched off into the bathroom, "And don't forget to clean yourself up when you're done doing...whatever it is you're doing."

The boy waited until he got a confirming nod from his mentor, before completely disappearing into the showers. Bruce walked over to the Batcomputer and began filling out the reports from the night's escapades. He made a mental note to visit Killer Croc the next day to figure out where and when he acquired those explosives. It didn't make much sense for the criminal to act that way, usually he just threw rocks at the Dark Knight. Bruce continued typing in the report, aware of another being's presence in the cave, but knew that they were a frequent visitor. Several minutes passed in silence, save for the sound of the keyboard, before Bruce finally turned away from the monitor and said,

"Alright Clark, what do you want?"

Dressed in a blue pinstripe suit with a red tie around his neck, Clark Kent adjusted his glasses as he came into the billionaire's view. Both men looked at each other for several moments, as if sizing each other up. Then Clark spoke,

"You might want to change the entrance to the cave again. It's getting easier to find you every time."

"What do you want now, Kent?" Bruce repeated the question more coldly, "Is this still about Dick?"

"Yes it is," Clark replied calmly.

"Then you'll have to ask me about it tomorrow," Bruce turned back to the computer again and proceeded typing, "I'm busy."

"Can I at least talk to Dick about it?" Clark furrowed his eyebrows, "After all, this is _his_ choice."

"Can't," Bruce replied, still focused on his work, "He's taking a shower right now and he has a cold."

"Then can I talk to him when he's done?" The reporter refused to back down. Bruce sighed,

"Alright, just don't drag it out. He's tired enough as it is."

**Next part will come out later tonight. Sorry about that, just wanted to get something out before my battery died on me (not that it has happened before.) As always, please review. Happy Readings!**


	10. Chapter 9: Uncle Clark Part 2

**Here's the second part of the Uncle Clark chapter.**

**Disclaimer: All rights to Justice League Belong to DC Comics and Cartoon Network. Batman and Robin Belong to Bob Kane and Bill Finger. This is a slight AU of the Justice League cartoon.**

**Chapter 9: Uncle Clark Part 2**

Dick dragged himself up the stairs in Wayne Manor, now feeling as though his entire body were filled with lead. His eyes were dropping at a dangerous rate, he would be lucky if he even managed to reach his bed before blacking out on the floor. One perk out of all of this was the fact that Dick could sleep in and miss school since he was labeled "sick" by Bruce. He could already imagine what he would be able to do with those hours of freedom; play some video games, sleep, watch TV, sleep, have something good from the fridge, sleep. Then again, Alfred would probably be fretting over him for hours on end with homemade soup and maybe bitter medicine. The kind with the flavor that wouldn't fade from his taste buds for hours on end.

As he continued climbing up, his legs became heavier and heavier, to the point where Dick couldn't even lift them up one more time. He also started to wonder if he was on a boat or not, now that the floor beneath him became unbalanced. Dick tried to lift up his feet again, but found himself falling backwards as a result.

He anticipated the fall, already mentally bracing himself for the new bruises to form on his back. Instead, he found himself being carried like a young child in strong arms. And although Dick couldn't figure it out completely, he was certain that he was floating in the air now. Dick unconsciously leaned into the chest supporting him now, this happened so rarely now...

"Need some help there, Dickie?" Clark's voice was warm and friendly.

"A bit late to ask that now," Dick grinned sleepily. He yawned loudly despite himself and felt a gentle breeze brush over his hair and face as he quickly found himself laying on his own bed. Dick didn't complain when Clark tucked him in. Or propped his pillows a bit. Though the part where he patted down Dick's messy hair was going a little too far...

"That was some first impressions you left on the League," Clark grinned at his nephew, "Wonder Woman asked me if Bruce was married, J'onn now hates Bruce for bringing a kid into this mess-"

"Why would he be mad?" Dick interrupted the Kryptonian, "You told me that Martian Manhunter was nice, Uncle Clark. Does he...hate me?"

"No, Dickie. Of course not," Clark's voice grew hollow as he explained, "He...used to be a father himself. When Mars was under attack, his family was-"

He stopped when he saw the confused look on Dick's face.

"Wait, didn't Bruce tell you about J'onn's past?"

"Don't think so," Dick frowned, "Right now, he wants me to focus on knowing our rogues like the back of my hand. No time to learn about other heroes save for you and the Speedster. The only reason I knew a bit about Stewart was because he's on the news a lot. You know how the media is about a hero's public identity. Plus, that file I found in the Batcomputer yesterday on Wonder Woman does seem interesting..."

"Don't even think about it," Clark said in a disapproving voice, "I'm pretty sure that's for Bruce's eyes only."

"Must be pretty top secret if only Bruce can look at it," Dick gave a dirty grin, "Bet it's a lot like those files on Catwoman-"

"What did you see in _that_ file?" Clark glared at the young boy disapprovingly.

"Nothing," Dick chuckled. His face faltered a little when the reporter continued to glare at him, "I'm serious. They kissed before, it didn't take that long for me to realize what was in those files without even looking!"

Clark relaxed as he saw the hard look his nephew was giving him, "Okay, I believe you."

"What about the others?" Dick asked eagerly, "What did Hawkgirl and Green Lantern think of me?"

"John's more amused than annoyed now," Clark's grin returned, "A bit more on the doubtful side though. And I guess his nickname for you's starting to grow on Hawkgirl too. She's pretty impressed."

"Stewart likes me?" Dick felt his heart skip a beat. First he goes from being an enemy to a friend of the Flash, now Dick was getting on Green Lantern's good side. This day was getting more and more confusing now, "I thought he couldn't stand-"

"John has to deal with Flash most of the time," Clark explained, "Flash can act pretty immature. And since John used to work in the Marines, it shouldn't be a surprise how easily annoyed that can get him. Having to deal with you got on his nerves for a little while too."

"What made him change his mind?" Dick sat up on his bed despite how much effort it took to do so.

"I don't know," Clark admitted, "It was either you taking down Croc or he just got used to your antics after a while."

"So they think I'm good enough to be in the League now?" Dick was getting excited now, he forgot how tired he was and was speaking a little too loud now.

"Careful," Clark warned, "Just because Bruce doesn't want to sleep doesn't mean Alfred feels the same!"

"Sorry," Dick whispered loudly. When Clark put a finger to his lips, Dick repeated more quietly, "Sorry. So they like me now? When can I see them again? Do they go to outer space often?"

"Easy there, champ," Clark placed his hands on Dick's shoulders, "They still don't know yet."

Dick grew indignant at those words, "But you said-"

"That they pretty much liked you," Clark cut him off, "I didn't say they trusted you yet. It's going to be a while before they're certain."

"Aww!" Dick groaned loudly.

"You know, Dick," Clark started, "You don't have to join the League just so you can see the others. To be honest, I'm agreeing with J'onn. You're still too young to be doing this sort of thing.

"I know you're strong," he held up a hand to prevent Dick from interrupting him, "Believe me, Dick, most kids your age can't say that they fought the likes of the Joker and live to tell the tale unscathed. Most of them don't boast of an IQ around 149. And don't get me started on doing acrobatics that even most experts are afraid of doing. But eleven isn't really a good age to be starting a crime-fighting career. You haven't even gotten through puberty yet. Let alone, middle school."

"Uncle Clark," Dick huffed, "I went through this with Bruce when he argued over it. I even won against Alfred in the end. Please don't make me get in a fight with you, it's too late for that."

"Then get some sleep and we can talk about it in the morning," Clark gently brushed a stray hair from Dick's eyes.

"Don't you have work that time?" Dick yawned.

"For a guy like me, Metropolis is just a second away," Clark countered with a grin, "I've got nothing to worry about."

"'Cept for your boss," Dick closed his eyes and grinned, "Pretty sure he'd kill you if you were late for work. Then he'd blame me for it."

"That hardly happens at all," Clark chuckled, "And since when would Perry point the finger at you?"

"Good point," Dick yawned and sunk deeper into his pillows, "You worry about him, I'll worry about my problems."

"I take it I can't change your mind then?" Clark sighed. Dick shook his head in reply. The reporter knew that Dick was just too tired to argue right now, but he knew his nephew was right. When it came down to something Dick cared about, no one stood a chance against him in a verbal argument. Clark kissed Dick on the forehead and proceeded to walk towards the door.

"Uncle Clark?" Dick called out sleepily. Clark walked back towards the young boy, "Do you think I'll see Flash again?"

Clark grinned, "You know, I was actually a little worried you weren't going to ask about him at all. I'm sure you will soon enough. Go to sleep now."

"Ok," Dick sighed, "Goodnight, Uncle Clark. I love you."

"Love you too, kiddo," Clark said softly. When he walked out of the bedroom, he made sure to close the door gently. It wasn't Dick he was worried about; more or less, it was finding himself face to face with a cranky butler that made Clark a bit more cautious.

**Two chapters in one day! That's a rare thing to see. Thanks again for reading. Like I promised, the Paradise Lost Arc will begin in a few days. Please review. Happy Readings!**


	11. Chapter 10: Sun and Stars

**Only fair to warn you all that this will be a loose adaptation of the Paradise Lost episode, so expect differences from screen to...computer. It's both lazy writing as well as a difficult thing to do to copy an episode word for word in my opinion. **

**Disclaimer: All rights to Justice League Belong to DC Comics and Cartoon Network. Batman and Robin Belong to Bob Kane and Bill Finger. This is a slight AU of the Justice League cartoon.**

**Chapter 10: Sun and Stars**

The sense of adrenaline that Wonder Woman was still getting used to kicked in as she deflected a shower of bullets sent in her direction with her bracelets. Adrenaline continued to flow through her veins more fiercely than before as she advanced towards the shooter, who quickly ran out of ammunition. She then threw a punch at the masked man, who collided with a wall. Enrage, he then pulled out a knife and began swinging it wildly at her, obviously believing that the woman would become intimidated by this weapon. Wonder Woman kicked the blade away and sent the thug into the wall again, dazed. He tried to get up once more, but fell halfway up with a thud and didn't move a muscle afterwards.

One down.

The conflict she was taking a part of involved several men surrounding a woman and her young daughter, knifes pointed at them in a threatening fashion as their belongings were taken from them. A purse, a wallet, a small backpack. Wonder Woman was walking by when she saw this spectacle occur in an alleyway-why do these scenes always occur in such an obvious place?-and spurred into action. She slowly walked up to the thugs and growled,

"Return their belongings and leave these women alone!"

Their response to her came out as laughter. It was apparent to them that this was simply a random woman. Her hair was tied up in a bun, glasses covered up her sparkling eyes, and a business suit covered her torso from view. The Amazon cursed Superman's previous suggestion to "blend in" from earlier, as he felt that it was important not to draw attention to herself. The laughter turned into jeers as Wonder Woman started unbuttoning her suit, demands to "take it all off" soon filled the air. It become quiet altogether when they saw the breastplate and one of their own being attacked by this newcomer.

Another man managed to grabbed the Amazon from behind in an attempt to subdue her, but found himself being lifted up into the air before he collided with the concrete once more. It wasn't enough to break the man's neck or skull, but it was enough to leave a concussion.

Two down.

Two more thugs attempted to strike the Amazon, but ended up swinging at the air. One man looked up before finding a boot in his face. His companion tried running, only to get hit in the back by Wonder Woman's tiara. This was the first time the princess attempted such a thing, so she was surprised that her headpiece continued flying in a u-turn after hitting its target until it came back into her grasp.

Three down. Four down. Who was missing?

The sound of a woman's screaming caught Wonder Woman off guard. She watched as the young girl continued throwing rocks at the remaining attacker, possibly to help the Amazon, despite how he closed in on her. The girl started to shriek as the man grabbed her. The mother struggled to keep a hold of her young daughter, who was now being dragged in the opposite direction by the kidnapper. The hoodlum brought his pistol down onto the woman's head, who collapsed onto the ground.

"Mommy!" cried the young girl out for her mother, who remained unresponsive to her daughter's screams. Blood slowly dripped from the woman's forehead.

"Shut up, you little brat!" The man holding her pointed his gun at her threateningly, "You wanna end up like her too?!"

Enraged, Wonder Woman pulled out her lasso and threw it over the weapon. She tugged the piece of metal away from the surprised thug before throwing a fist into his face, blood flowing from his nose. She struck his face again, aiming at his stomach this time. Although he was out cold, Wonder Woman then picked up the thug and threw him across the alleyway, away from the mother and child. The Amazon looked down at the ground to see the young girl crying her eyes out, a scrape on her knee already forming. A strange urge to comfort the girl formed in Wonder Woman's heart, and she quickly found herself drawing the child close to her arms.

"I got you little sister," Wonder Woman murmured softly into the girl's golden hair. As she rubbed the child's back, a fleeting image of a girl much like the one she was comforting appeared. She was snoring softly as a different woman held her, rubbing her back in the same manner Wonder Woman was right now.

"You're not my sister," the girl whimpered, though she held the Amazon's neck in a death grip as she buried her face into her savior's neck. Wonder Woman walked towards the collapsed mother and pressed her fingers against the exposed neck. Within seconds, Wonder Woman felt a slow but steady beat. For a moment, Wonder Woman feared that the girl would have become an orphan. Thank Hera!

The Amazon silently thanked the Man of Steel for teaching her how to use a phone, as she was able to contact the authorities much quicker by doing so. She watched with relief as the muggers she thwarted were carted off in handcuffs and the mother being attended to by a medic, who was wrapping a bandage around her forehead. The daughter, who was in her mother's arms once the medic was done attending to her injuries, looked up and waved at her savior. Wonder Woman quickly heard the mother say to her daughter,

"I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you, Cassie. You're my whole world."

No one reported seeing a woman flying in the air, her face filled with sadness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Wonder Woman flew in the sky, feeling her hair blow in the gentle wind. It was one of those strange winds you could feel one very rare days, the ones you wished would stay. The kind that feels more like intangible silk, sliding against your face and leaving you with a sensation so wonderful. It was like the caress of a mother's hand, so smooth and cool and filled with love.

How she missed her mother so! What would she say to her daughter after so many months? Would she be forgiving, considering the situation? Oh Hera, please let Hippolyta be merciful.

"Diana," Superman's voice came in clear as a bell through her com-link, "You there?"

"Yes," Wonder Woman failed to keep her hollow voice in check as she replied, "What is it?"

"I was just checking in on you-" Superman began.

"Is everything alright?" This voice was new, a higher pitch was a dead giveaway to the identity of the voice.

"Robin," Superman's voice groaned. Wonder Woman imagined the man pinching the bridge of his nose, "This doesn't concern you. Hang up."

"I will if you do," Robin grumbled through the com-link, "Can't you see that she doesn't want to be bothered right now?"

"No, I can't," Superman admitted, "Considering how we can only hear her voice."

"Oh ha ha," Robin retorted sarcastically, "You got me."

"Will you please hang up?" Superman's voice sounded strained this time.

"It's alright," Woman Woman sighed, "He's just concerned." _Not that it helps,_ she secretly thought to herself.

"How're you?" Robin sounded concerned.

Wonder Woman struggled to form the words on her tongue, "There was this mother and daughter I helped, and the way they embraced each other reminded me of my _own_ mother. It's been so long since...I've...seen her. She used to call me her...little sun and stars. I don't know if she's alright or not."

"Why don't you visit her?" Robin suggested, "If you left home, I'm pretty sure you can come back just as easily. It's not like you can't do that anymore." At the end of the sentence, Robin's voice became quieter than usual.

Wonder Woman brightened up at the suggestion. It was perfect! She could spend a few days catching up with her family! There would be stories to tell, and explanations of course for her disappearance, but it would all be worth it. She could fly home right now and...and...get blown apart by the winds like last time...

"The winds around Themyscira," she explained slowly, "They are as strong as a typhoon. I barely survived them when I left months ago, I doubt luck will be with me this time..."

"Why don't you take the Javelin?" Superman suggested, "Its strong and fast enough to get you to the island. I'm sure we can live without it for a day or two."

"Thanks Superman," Wonder Woman could barely contain her happiness. She quickly added, "You too, Robin. Wonder Woman out!"

**There you have it. I promised I'd get the first chapter in the arc out this week. Next update will come in a few days or so. Also, please review my earlier chapters, as I wish to hear what you thought of the introductory arc. Did you like the action? The way the characters were portrayed? Any questions you'd like to ask? Please, I want to know! Happy Readings!**


	12. Chapter 11: As Still as Stone

**Disclaimer: All rights to Justice League Belong to DC Comics and Cartoon Network. Batman and Robin Belong to Bob Kane and Bill Finger. This is a slight AU of the Justice League cartoon.**

**Chapter 11: As Still as Stone**

_You look more radiant than ever, Mother._ Diana imagined saying these words in her head as she flew the Javelin. She could act as if there was nothing wrong, perhaps seeing Diana would distract her mother from any concerns she might have had. Flattery might distract the issue for a while, but she knew the Queen too well to hope for that. _No. _Her mother might be suspicious of her daughter's location all this time. Hippolyta would brush the complement aside and demand to know where her daughter was, command her as her queen.

What if she could just make an excuse? It wasn't like Diana never did that before. _Gone, Mother? I didn't go anywhere. I was in my room... alone...for the past eight months.. Definitely not._ What kind of person would fall for an excuse like _that? _Even _she_ was having a hard time believing her own lie!

The closer Diana felt herself reach home, the more she imagined a furious Queen Hippolyta glaring daggers at her, demanding an explanation. If push came to shove, then..._The world was in peril! Would you have me stand by and do nothing? _Was it really worth stealing from the Temple of Athena to obtain the armor now adorning her body? All for the sake of sparing Man's World from the wrath of the parasite aliens? She could have gone home afterwards. What was stopping her from doing so? So many questions would come afterwards in those forms, Hippolyta demanded complete explanations for wrong doings. Would Diana be forgiven if she admitted that curiosity kept her in Man's World, to discover everything about it? Or even admitting that one of her male colleagues was dangerously interesting? _Hera give me strength..._

Superman was right about the Javelin. As she felt the ship rattle slightly, Diana was amazed that she was flying through the harsh winds much more easily. And there was also no damage reports, so everything seemed to be in check. Within moments of thinking this, Themyscira was in sight. All of her worries were briefly forgotten as Diana admired the beauty of her home from above. The trees that were spread across the island, the buildings still as white and artistic as ever, and Diana's favorite, the waves crashing among the shores like they always do.

As she landed, Diana expected to see some guards patrolling the beach within seconds. But there was no one running up to her, no one to investigate the loud noises by the beach. What in Zeus's name is going on? She walked at a slow pace, half expecting someone to make themselves known to her before Diana reached the edge of the cliff. Diana looked down at the sand and saw no signs of anyone patrolling this area for a while. The only explanation that Diana could think of could be that the waves could have simply washed them away but the guards always walked as far from the shore as possible.

_Ironic._ Diana thought as she continued walking across the beach. _This was the same place Mother and I talked. When was the last time I disagreed with her about fate? Did she think I would forget all about the woes that Men's World were facing and move on? _She could even hear her mother talking right now; the last words Diana heard her say. Was she alright?

Her heart started beating faster than usual as scenarios began filling Diana'a head. She started running towards the city, too worried to remember how to fly at the moment. Her feet began hitting stone, but Diana could hardly feel what was underneath her at the moment. So much worry was filling Diana'a head that she didn't see the statue in front of her and collided with it. Out of instinct, Diana caught the stone before it hit the ground and set it upright again. That was too close, someone must have worked very hard on it, Diana swore that it looked just like...

Aello! Great Hera, it looked just like the Queen's bodyguard! A look of horror was etched across the statue's face...

Diana turned around and found herself face to face with another statue, her fists clenched in a fighting stance.

Alcippe! Such a brave woman.

There was another statue-no, Amazon-only ten feet away from Aclippe's form. The expression remained defiant, although the head was turned towards Aclippe.

This was Asteria...she was too stubborn to go down without a fight. More stubborn than most of Themyscria united.

Aello! Great Hera, it looked just like the Queen's bodyguard! A look of horror was etched across the statue's face...

Diana turned around and found herself face to face with another statue, her fists clenched in a fighting stance.

Alcippe! Such a brave woman.

There was another statue-no, Amazon-only ten feet away from Aclippe's form. The expression remained defiant, although the head was turned towards Aclippe.

This was Asteria...she was too stubborn to go down without a fight. More stubborn than most of Themyscria united.

Diana looked all around her, seeing nothing but gray and stone. What in Hera's name happened here? Her sisters...they are all in front of her. She grieved more for some than the rest, those she knew the best. Celaneo, Deianeira, Eurybe, Phoebe, Philippis, Prothoe. And worst of all, not even able to pull out her sword before the same fate that afflicted the other Amazons fell upon her, her youngest sister.

She was shorter than Robin was, but already inherited her mother's beauty and obviously her sister's courage. She was obviously moving; as her long, silky hair was getting in her face as usual. There appeared to be signs of injuries, cuts and scrapes, as if there was some form of combat beforehand. But nothing could compare to the look upon the young girl's face. It was a mixture of terror and sadness, as if she anticipated her efforts to be futile.

Diana's vision became blurry as she stared at the last image of horror. Too young... Too innocent... She never even said goodbye...

Tears began to stream down Diana's face as she ran towards the temple. Why was she doing this? Did she wish to pray for guidance? Was there a slimmer of hope that someone escaped the same fate as the rest of her sisters? Diana didn't know, she just ran. As she entered the sacred temple, Diana saw a figure in the back. There was still hope!

Her feet kicked off of the ground, carrying her to...to...

"Mother!" Diana gasped.

There she was, a look of surprise etched across the Queen's face. Diana almost rushed to embrace her when she was within five feet of the woman and stopped. A sword was held out before her, poised for attack. An attack that would never come, towards a person that wasn't there...

Diana walked up to the petrified form of her mother and pressed her forehead against the woman's.

"Forgive me, Mother," Diana whispered, unable to hold back her tears any longer, "I've failed you..."

**Kind of a downer, I know. I promise that the next update will come shortly. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, college gets in the way. Not to mention the distractions and lack of motivation on my part.**

**Here's a little trivia I'd like to share: The names of the Amazons that Diana recognized...those are the names of the nine Amazon warriors who attacked Herakles (better known as Hercules) as he retrieved the girdle as his ninth labor.**

**Thanks for your growing support. Please Review. Happy Readings!**


	13. Chapter 12: Faust

**Hey everyone. It's me again. I'm a little surprised that no one asked about that unnamed Amazon girl Diana saw in the last chapter, just saying. Also, I updated Uncle Clark Part 2 since it was a bit short for my liking. I'd also like to thank Sora Tsuiki for their incredible review and support. Replying to one of the things you said, I am going to have plenty of original adventures outside of the cartoon, but suggestions are nice to hear. Here's the next part of the arc, please review and enjoy!**

**Note: Some of the dialogue is taken from the original episode that this arc is based around.**

**Disclaimer: All Rights To Justice League Belong to DC Comics and Cartoon Network. Batman and Robin Belong To Bob Kane and Bill Finger. This is a slight AU of the Justice League cartoon.**

**Chapter 12: Faust**

Diana held the concrete statue that was her mother close in her arms, weeping softly. She was too late. Her home, her family, it was all gone now. Only Hera knew if mother and daughter would ever meet again on Olympus. She examined her mother's face frozen in time, trying to get a clear picture of what she might have thought in her last moments.

Her usually gray eyes were piercing even in this state, furrowed into a glare like she always does in anger or frustration. The stance was obviously a sign that her attacker was close to her sword, possibly too close for comfort. Her pale lips were sealed tight; a usual sign that the Queen was trying to control her emotions at the time. Was she bottling up her grief over the many warriors who sacrificed themselves to protect their Queen?

Was she defiant to the end? Knowing that it was a losing battle but believed that she might have been able to spare a few of her people from the attack? Or did she truly believe that she would have been able to take down the intruder once and for all? Diana suspected that it might have been the latter, as her mother could be _very_ stubborn.

Or was she hiding her true feelings underneath her looks? Were her last thoughts of the prodigal daughter that she would never see again?

"I should have been here to protect you," Diana whispered to the statue, "I should have-"

Diana's leg brushed against something, prompting her to look. Beside the statue was a shield, its reflective surface shining in the torchlight, untouched by whatever affected the other Amazons. In the reflection, there was a figure in the distance, garbed in purple robes. An intruder! They must have been the one who attacked the others! As the figure came closer in the reflection, Diana could barely make out the person's face. A man!

Her blood boiled with rage, and Diana threw the shield at the intruder, hitting the man in the stomach and sending him flying several feet. After a few moments, the man recovered and glared at the Amazon. Diana saw his lips move, but didn't understand what language he was speaking.

It was only when small red balls of energy generated from the man's hands and flew towards the Amazon did she begin to understand the meaning. Diana ducked and somersaulted and dodged the attacks with ease, leaving her mother's form exposed to her opponent. The man seemed to notice this and began directing his attacks towards the statue instead.

Diana quickly got in the path of the attack and deflected each orb with her bracelets, sending energy ricocheting off of the walls. The man pressed forward with his attacks, sending more orbs of energy flying at a faster rate, almost too fast for the Amazon to deflect easily. If this kept up, then the man would attack the Queen's petrified form without interference!

The Amazon backed up slowly while deflecting the onslaught of attacks, trying to reach the statue without the man noticing her. When she felt stone nudge her in the back, Diana grabbed the statue that was her mother and flew off into the air. She felt something hot graze her shoulder, almost dropping her mother in the process. The orb continued flying until it hit the ceiling, causing debris to fall. Diana avoided the rubble and placed her mother out of harm's way. She then picked up a fallen pillar and threw it towards her opponent.

The man managed to duck just in time before he felt his face collide with a boot. He was sent flying twenty feet across the temple before reuniting with the ground once more. An arm grabbed him from the collar of the man's shirt and he found himself staring into Diana's eyes.

"How dare you defile this sacred ground!" Diana growled threateningly.

"Harm me and the others will remain what they are: cold, hard stone," the man cried out when he saw the Amazon raise her other fist in preparation for a beat down.

Realization came to Diana's face as the intruder said this. She satisfied herself with slamming the man to the ground again before barking, "Who are you? Talk!"

"Felix Faust," the man replied calmly, "I am a humble student of the mystic arts."

"Why did you attack my sisters?" Diana demanded.

"They attacked me first," Faust replied nonchalantly, "I had to defend myself. Those women just seem to connect men with danger for some odd reason."

"You 'defended' yourself by turning everyone to stone!?" Diana shouted, her face becoming more and more red with each passing second, "Why did you come to this place?"

"In pursuit of ultimate knowledge," Faust held up his hands as a sign of peace, though his face remained indifferent, "I was in search of fragments of an ancient sacred relic that would help me gain this. Unfortunately...the first piece was on this island. Right where you're standing, actually."

Diana looked down at her feet and saw what appeared to be a smooth, black lever. She looked at Faust and kept her face hostile, though her voice was more leveled, "Go on."

Faust smiled, "In exchange of finding these relics, I will remove my spell from your...sisters."

For a moment, Diana was giddy with joy. But Faust's grin was unnerving. Like he was planning this from the beginning.

"How will I know you will keep your word?" Diana insisted.

In reply, Faust rummaged through one of his pockets with his left hand before pulling out a flat piece of stone.

"Look at the image on this medallion," Faust said, "Do you recognize what is on it?"

The moment Diana saw the green snakes, she gasped with horror and shielded her eyes quickly.

Faust laugh unkindly, "Fool. An immortal like yourself would know that a creature's powers are impossible to replicate completely. The image will only work upon command of the owner. Bring your mother over here and I will show you."

Diana raised an eyebrow at him.

"Don't worry," Faust replied, "I am offering you a deal and never go back on my word."

When Diana brought her petrified mother to the warlock, Faust muttered something the Amazon could not understand and a flash of yellow light poured out of the medallion. When the light faded, Diana heard a woman gasp and saw the Queen stagger as if from exhaustion before she fell to the ground.

"Mother!" Diana cried out as she embraced her mother in her arms.

"Diana?" The Queen replied weakly, "Are the gods playing tricks with me now?"

"No Mother," Diana whispered into the Queen's ear, "I'm home." She felt her eyes water as her mother's strong arms wrapped themselves around her daughter's waist.

"Athena heard my prayers and sent you," the Queen gazed upon her daughter's face with joy. Her face fell when her eyes gazed upon Faust, "The intruder!"

Diana felt her mother remove herself from the embrace and stand upright. She gasped, "Mother-"

"We must stop the intruder," the Queen picked up her fallen sword and shield before getting into a fighting stance, "We must!"

As the elder Amazon charged at Faust, another flash of light filled the room and the place where the woman was standing was now empty. Diana spun around and saw her mother by Faust's side, trapped in an orange bubble. The Queen banged her fists against the barrier around her before Faust raised his hands again, and the woman screamed with agony as if be shocked by electricity. She then collapsed to the bottom of the bubble and did not move.

"Monster!" Diana growled.

"That was merely a demonstration," Faust shrugged, "I considered turning her to stone again, but what better way to attract prey than to hold what it loves dearly right in front of them."

Diana clenched her fists and charged at the man, "You can go straight to-"

"I didn't get my answer yet," Faust sneered, "Does this mean you _don't_ want to help your mother, _child?_"

The way he said "child" was demeaning, as if he were calling Diana a fool or weakling. It was obvious that Faust was only taunting Diana now. He _expected_ her to attack, to give him a reason to change his mind. One look at her unconscious mother was all it took to take the fight out of Diana.

"Fine," Diana grumbled.

"Much better," Faust grinned, "You must gather the remaining relics within...-"

An hourglass materialized out of nowhere and turned upside down, sand now falling at a slow pace.

"Twenty-four hours," Faust finished, "Or else I turn your mother back into stone and let her remain like that forever."

"Where do I find these relics?" Diana demanded, "You don't seem to be giving any clues at the moment."

"Then hold your tongue and let me finish, woman!" Faust spat in the Amazon's face. He held up his hand and bits of rubble floated up. They pressed against each other until they formed three stones, which then floated into Diana's hands. One was red, one was yellow, and one was blue.

"These will help you find the relics, since you are not competent enough to locate them on your own," Faust sneered, "As you come close to one of the relics, they will vibrate. I wish you good luck on your quest...you will need it!"

"What kind of man are you?" Diana glared.

"A practical one," Faust replied.

Diana marched up to Faust and growled, "Heed my words, Faust. If you break your vow, no magic in the universe will protect you from-"

"I'd hurry if I were you," Faust pointed to the hourglass, "The meter's running."

**To Be Continued...**

**So what did you think? Don't worry, Robin and the rest of the League will return in the next chapter. Happy Readings!**


	14. Chapter 13: Mythology

**Disclaimer: All Rights to Justice League Belong To DC Comics and Cartoon Network. Batman and Robin Belong to Bob Kane and Bill Finger. This is a slight AU of the Justice League Cartoon.**

**Chapter 13: Mythology**

It was a slow day in the Watchtower and Flash was doing the best that he could to keep himself busy. But nothing he could do would help get rid of the boredom, and Flash refused to let any aspect of his day be defined as "slow." The one time he had a person that was the closest thing to fun and he hasn't made an appearance in two months. Every day, he'd ask Superman when Robin would be meeting up with them again, but the Man of Steel always said he wasn't sure. The only thing that Batman said on the matter was that Robin was fine and that he was training him until he could "hold his own without becoming a burden." It was pretty ironic considering how Robin defeated Killer Croc by himself the last time he was with the League. Superman told Flash that Batman was just making sure that Robin stayed safe, but he wasn't so sure.

Batman always did come off as a perfectionist/sociopath.

When Flash heard Superman's voice in the hall, he decided to investigate the matter a little. He was that bored that it was worth getting caught, at least there would be some action going on for a few moments. As the Speedster pressed his ear against the crack in the door, he heard Superman speak,

"I want you to stay in the conference room and work on your homework. You can't come out until you're done, understand?"

Flash heard a younger voice mumble inaudible words. The voice sounded pretty familiar...

"Just because I have super-hearing doesn't mean you should mumble under your breath," Superman sighed, "Do you understand, Robin?"

Robin!? Flash threw his fist in the air as quietly as he could.

"You know Flash," the Speedster swore he could hear Superman grin as he spoke, "It's alright to say hello if you want."

The Speedster slowly opened the door, his face looking downward as if he were stealing cookies from a cookie jar and was caught in the process. When he looked up, he noticed that Robin was carrying a rather large backpack in one hand and a thick book in the other. The young hero had a bored expression on his face, like he was wishing that he were somewhere else right now.

"Do you understand?" Superman repeated a second time.

"Yes," Robin sighed.

"Good," Superman grinned, "Now get to work."

As the Man of Steel walked away, Flash waved in the direction of the younger hero, who in turn started walking away from the Speedster.

Flash dashed in front of Robin and mockingly crossed his arms, "I don't even get a simple 'hello'?"

"Hello," Robin replied calmly, "And goodbye."

Robin began walking away again, but the Speedster got in front of the young hero again and snatched the book out of his grasp. The young hero protested, but found a large hand covering his face in a playful manner now.

"Alright, it's good to see you again," Robin conceded, "Can I have my book back now?"

"Let's see here," Flash muttered out loud as he flipped through the pages of the book at high speed, "WowthisthinghasTragediesHeroesComediesandnopictures? Whatkindofpersonreadsthiskindofthing!?"

"Slow down," Robin was getting flustered from the Speedster's quick dialect, "What did you say?"

"What's this supposed to be?" Flash ignored the question thrown his way, "A little light reading?"

"Homework for Literature," Robin answered as he jumped up and snatched the book out of Flash's hands, "I'm supposed to write a five-page paper on someone from Greek mythology. And so far, the closest thing to an idea was writing about Uranus...then I remembered that he was Roman."

"Bet Princess could offer her mythological two-cents," the Speedster grinned, "Ever thought of asking her?"

Robin sighed, "Do you really think I didn't try that already? For starters, she wasn't in the mood when I contacted her. Also, Superman was talking to her at the time. Plus, I think she's not going to be around here for a few days."

"And why's that?" Flash questioned.

"Because I suggested that she visit her family for that amount of time," Robin replied, "I think she was getting a little homesick. No use asking her now."

"Well stop right there 'cause I'm gonna help you get an A!" Flash beamed.

"Doubt it. Batman told me, and I quote," Robin then began imitating the Dark Knight's voice almost perfectly, "'_Robin, I forbid you from letting Flash help you with your homework. He'll become a distraction and you'll fail.'_ Unquote."

"Soooo, no?" Flash asked tentatively, already anticipating the answer.

"Well, I asked Superman for help but he was as stumped as I was," Robin noted. He started to grin as an idea formed in his head, "But if you _made_ me let you help me, then that's a different story."

"Alright then," Flash smirked. He then started speaking in a pathetic Batman voice, "Robin! I order you to let me help you or else!"

"Or else what, M-Mr. Flash?" Robin struggled to suppress his chuckles as he tried sounding scared.

"Or else I won't stop bugging you!" Flash concluded before he started ruffling the young hero's hair.

"Alright, alright! You can help!" Robin continuously swatted away the oncoming hands, "By the way; never touch my hair again."

"Let me guess," Flash began as he and Robin started walking into the conference room, "Only Batman can do that?"

"Nope," Robin shook his head, "Superman. At least I know him well enough."

As the two heroes entered the conference room, Robin opened up his book and skimmed through the pages. Flash looked over his shoulder, making suggestions every now and then to see if an idea could come up.

"How about Zeus, god of lighting?" Flash pointed to an image of a man holding a pair of lightning bolts in his hands.

"Too easy," Robin shook his head, "A _lot_ of kids in my class are doing their reports on him. Believe me, I checked."

"How about his wife, Hera?" The Speedster pointed to the image on the page next to Zeus, featuring a woman dressed in beautiful silk and holding a bird in her hand.

"Too crazy," Robin replied. When Flash looked at him funny, Robin explained, "Hera refused to let the gods, Apollo and his twin sister, Artemis be born for a while and even set a giant serpent after their mother, she tricked Zeus into killing one of his girlfriends and almost killed their unborn son, Dionysus, in the process. She made Hercules go crazy and kill his own kids by mistake, had him go crazy _again_ after he completed 12 Labors that she tried preventing him from achieving just because she felt like it, and even went so far as to keep a woman named Io in cow-form as her pet since she was _another_ one of Zeus's girlfriends. That good enough for you?"

Flash only stared at the young hero.

"Never mind," Robin looked back at the book, "Maybe I could do my paper about Artemis...nah, too girly. Maybe it should be someone that I can relate to; someone that has a positive influence over me and- Flash, what are you grinning at?"

"Want to try Hermes?" Flash suggested. Robin merely stared at him, so Flash spoke again, "The _messenger _god. Am I still too fast to follow? Come on! He's really fast, just like me."

"Which is exactly why I'm not doing him," Robin grinned, "I'm not going to feed your ego just because you're helping me."

"Awww," Flash moaned.

All of a sudden, Superman's voice bounced around the room,

"_Flash. Head to the Javelin now. There's a robbery down in Metropolis, J'onn and I are going over there right now."_

"Hey, what about me?" Robin asked the ceiling.

"_Sorry, Robin. Homework first."_

"Is anyone staying behind?" Flash asked the question this time.

"_Good point. You can stay behind with Robin too._"

"No fair!" Flash and Robin whined simultaneously.

_"You're both staying, that's final. Superman out."_

"This blows," Robin muttered under his breath.

"Wanna sneak on board instead?" Flash whispered excitedly.

Robin shrugged, "As long as we don't get caught."

**Sorry it took so long for an update, I had a busy week. Please Review. Happy Readings!**


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